The Fate of a Divinity
by Taco and Sombrero
Summary: Angels are threatening humanity. Can a group of children stop them? Can the appearance of a young blond change some events that are bound to happen? Read to find out! Rated M just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: Before the Storm

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion, Naruto, or The House of the Dead.**

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><p><strong> Chapter 1: Before the Storm<strong>

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><p><em>A Blood-red sky…<em>

_That was everything he could accomplish to see with those eyes of his._

_His broken and unmoving body rested upon the charred black earth of a once green and lively meadow now turned into a lifeless desert by the hands of selfish men. _

_The smell of ashes permeated the area and made the act of breathing much harder than what it originally was. His laborious breathing came in harsh gasps; each time he inhaled, he suffered as the hot air traveled down his hoarse throat and into his injured lungs._

_It had been far too long for him since a noise different that the sound of the rushing wind or the slow, agonizing squeals of wood creaking under a raging fire entered his ears, but that auditory monotony was broken when a sound, so eerie that made even his broken body cringe, was heard._

_A roar…_

_An overwhelming roar that felt very powerful and ancient. A malicious roar used to prophesy despair, fear and destruction to any unfortunate soul to hear it._

_He attempted to move…but it was useless. His body rebelled against his wish to move, the only thing he could accomplish to do was continue staring, with clouded eyes, at the immense crimson sky…_

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><p>A pair of blue eyes lazily opened up to the world when their owner was woken up by the characteristic melody of the school's bell. He had his right cheek resting on his right palm and he was staring at the sunny, bright world behind an opened window of the classroom.<p>

'_Must have dozed off…'_ He thought.

"Rise!" He heard the class representative starting the customary show of respect towards any entering or leaving teacher, so he forced his still sleepy body to stand up alongside the other students of class 2-A.

"Bow!" Once again, the same brunette with the pigtails ordered. The whole class obeyed and bowed low as their old teacher left the classroom.

"Sit!" As soon as those words left the class rep mouth, the sleepy young man plopped back into his seat and closed his eyes.

One of the most defining features of the young man leaning back on his chair were his azure blue eyes, which were currently hidden behind his closed lids. Besides that, he also had spiky bright blond hair -an unusual hair color in the fortress-city that was Tokyo-3- that fell slightly on his forehead and two bangs, which almost reached his top lip, framed his face. But without a doubt the physical trait that made him unique above everyone else were the trio of whisker-like birthmarks that adorned each of his cheeks.

All in all, he was a figure that stood out without even trying. Due to his appearance some people called him scary, others -mostly the girls- called him sexy, and the ones that judged without even knowing anything about him called him a delinquent. But for the people who had taken their time to actually get to know him, he was simply known as…

"Naruto."

Naruto Uzumaki turned to his right to see the first two people which he had formed a bond with since he transferred to the school in Tokyo-3…They were Tōji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida.

Tōji Suzuhara at 14 was two years younger than Naruto himself. Tōji had short black hair, tan skin and he was the tallest of the class, except for Naruto, but everyone assumed that when he reached 16 he was going to be even taller than the blond. He was the typical jock, often preferring to wear a dark blue track suit with white stripes going down the sides of his legs until his thighs and across his shoulders, rather than wearing the school uniform.

Kensuke Aida was the same age as Tōji, and had brown hair, round glasses and small freckles on his face. Contrary to Tōji, he did wear the customary school's white shirt, but he also wore a red t-shirt under it and a pair of jeans. He was often called a military nut because of his obsession of everything related to the army and warfare. His hobbies included camping, reenacting war scenarios and videotaping anything that happened to catch his attention with his camcorder.

"Guys, what's up?" He asked drowsily.

Kensuke had his ever-reliable camcorder rolling and used it to get a zoom-in of Naruto's sleepy face. "You okay, Naruto? You seem a little bit tired."

"Not tired, Kensuke, I'm just bored." Naruto responded

"I bet you are," Tōji started. "That old man's ranting keeps getting longer and longer, it's almost impossible to stay awake!"

Naruto grinned. "You got that right." He scanned the classroom to see that most of his classmates had already left their seats; some were chatting amongst each other, others were pulling their desk's together to eat their lunches with their friends, but the vast majority were leaving the room in search for a comfortable place to eat lunch.

"So…" Kensuke's voice drawled out. "Want to go the cafeteria and grab something to eat?"

As in agreement, Tōji's stomach growled. "Now we're talking! I'm starving!"

Kensuke deadpanned. "Of course Tōji the Stomach would be hungry… What about you, Naruto?"

When Kensuke heard no answer he turned to Naruto only to see the blond spacing out, his eyes were clouded with thoughts as he stared at nothing in particular.

"Naruto?" Kensuke tried again to reach his friend, but to no avail. He was there physically but it seemed as his mind was somewhere else. It was until Tōji grasped Naruto's right shoulder that the blond teen woke up from his trance.

"Are you really okay, Naruto? You have been out of it for the whole day." Tōji showed a serious expression combined with his concern towards the unnatural way Naruto had been acting.

Naruto stared at Tōji in the eyes and said. "Tōji, that serious face doesn't suits you…at all."

Both Kensuke and Naruto then broke out into a laughter that dissipated the silence and the serious atmosphere that had been surrounding the three friends, but in turn made Tōji embarrassed.

"Man, this is what I get for worryin' about ya!" The jock said with his arms crossed around his chest and his head turned in indignation.

The fit of chuckles soon were drowned by the noise inside the classroom and eventually died out, leaving two amused boys and one not so amused.

"Sorry, Tōji, but your seriousness was just too funny!" Kensuke exclaimed, but his apology lacked true feelings as the boy was still drying the tears that came out of his eyes during his laughing spree.

Tōji scoffed. He obviously didn't buy Kensuke's apology, but in the end he decided to just forget the whole incident altogether. "Fine," He then addressed the older blond. "So, Naruto, you hungry or what?"

The two boys stared at Naruto while their unofficial leader decided their course of action.

Naruto shrugged. "I guess I am…"

Tōji and Kensuke nodded and began making their way out of the classroom until Naruto made himself heard again. "But I'm not really in the mood to go to the cafeteria."

The boys stopped in their tracks and turned back to the blond.

"Then what do ya wanna do?" Tōji questioned.

Naruto stretched his arms behind his head until the unpleasant sound of snapping joints was heard through the entire classroom. Many heads turned to see the blond stretching as if he was a bear that had just woken up from hibernation.

He then pushed his chair back and stood up showing his impressive built. Naruto was in fact the tallest person in his class, but his height paled under his overall physical condition. He had a built that none 8th grader should have, lean but firm muscles trailed his arms, his shoulders and back seemed capable of carrying the weight of the world in them, his chest was as hard as a rock, his abdomen showed not so faint traces of and enviable 6-pack, and finally his sturdy, but agile legs were strong enough to keep him standing even during the stormy days that life sometimes throws.

All in all, he was in excellent shape, and when asked about what kind of diet he followed to gain such a physique, he would reply: "A diet full of ramen, of course!"

The proclamation about his rather unhealthy diet often left the listeners baffled and perplexed, but sometimes there were some believers that took his words to the heart and followed the diet that the blond had named 'Ramenism'

…It is needless to say that the people who followed his diet turned doctrine gained 50 pounds in two weeks.

The ones that didn't believe him would decide against questioning his strange food habits and instead change their previous question into one that questioned the physical activities he had to do to stay in shape.

When asked that, he'd often put some thought into it, but then shrug and assure that he hadn't done anything out of the ordinary to gain the physique he had. Naruto was by no means an exercise-obsessed dude. He enjoyed having quick one-on-one basketball matches with Tōji, running some laps around the neighborhood and sometimes he'd the strange urge to climb any tree or building he saw, but in general, since he left the countryside he had been enjoying a lazier lifestyle.

Naruto then closed the distance between him and his friends, and spoke. "How about we hit the arcade?"

"The arcade?" Tōji and Kensuke questioned back.

"Yep," The blond said happily. "We can grab something to eat on the way."

Kensuke choose that moment to interfere. "But Naruto, this is only the lunch break! We still have classes after this!"

A wicked grin slowly began to form on Naruto's face. "And your point is…?"

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><p>In the end, as usual, both Kensuke and Tōji decided to follow the blond on his daring plan to escape the prison that their school could sometimes be.<p>

While the trio of boys walked towards the arcade they were blessed with a sight that student's didn´t get to see frequently. The normally plagued with pedestrians streets were now mostly empty with the exception of a few random people walking by now and then.

Downtown –at least for Naruto- was truly a sight to behold. Enormous buildings lined next to each other, each one with the glasses of innumerable windows reflecting the rays of the midday sun, transformed the journey through the city into quite an enjoyable experience.

They soon reached the arcade, and the boys couldn't be happier when they escaped the blistering heat of the outside world and entered the cool comfort that only an air conditioner in a closed room could provide.

Seeing as most kids were still in school, it didn't surprise them to see that they had the games of the arcade all for themselves.

Without hesitation, Naruto, Tōji and Kensuke began exploring the place dimly illuminated by the neon lights hanging from the ceiling and the brightness emanating from the machine's screens; completely ignoring the strange looks that the workers kept sending them.

It was until two hours later that the pockets of the three boys were finally emptied that the boys finally decided to leave the arcade.

"That was totally worth it!" Exclaimed Tōji, feeling rather accomplished after beating the high-score of the basketball machine game.

Naruto, on his part, wasn't sharing Tōji´s good mood. "We should have stayed in school…"

Kensuke laughed and tried to comfort his friend. "Come on, Naruto, don't sulk. It wasn't that bad." Unfortunately, that had the opposite result…

"Don't talk to me, Ken. I'm not playing The House of the Dead 4 with you ever again…"

"Ya really did humiliate him this time." Tōji said. "Takin' all the extra lives for yourself. That was harsh, man!"

"You got that right, but you'll see, next time we play it's going to be me the one that leaves you in the dust!" Naruto, by now, was out of his flunk and instead thirst for revenge coursed through his veins.

Kensuke was unaffected by Naruto's bold declaration, and instead a cocky smirk appeared as he adjusted his glasses. "That sounds like a challenge, Uzumaki. But the day that you beat me is the day that Tōji stops being hungry!"

"Yeah…hey, what da hell ya talkin' about!"

"That's unfair, Kensuke," Whined Naruto. "You know that Tōji has like four stomachs! He is _always_ hungry!"

"My point." Kensuke said smugly.

"What? Do ya guys think I'm a cow or somethin'?"

The boys shared a laugh and once they reached the crossroads they said their goodbyes and made their way towards their respective homes. But Naruto wanted to visit one more place before calling it a day…

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><p>It took him some time and riding a monorail to reach his destination, but Naruto didn't care.<p>

The place he wanted to see so badly before going home was situated in the outskirts of the city, far away from the monstrous buildings and the gray smoke that the vehicles breathed out. It was a small, but noticeable hill covered with green grass where a gentle breeze always blew.

On top of the hill one could overlook the city, and gain a full panorama of the miracle of engineering that the last fortress of mankind truly was. But to Naruto, nothing bested being able to lie down on the soft blades of grass and let the kind caress of the wind drift you away.

He would often come up to this same hill each time he needed a place to think, to escape from the overwhelming rhythm of a life in the city or just a place to take a quick nap.

It was his haven, his sanctuary.

Maybe it was because the air on the hill resembled that of the countryside's that the blond immediately felt connected with it. The air up there felt pure, untouched and refreshing, it would always make him remember the old town where he grew up and lived alongside his grandma.

He smiled. It sure felt nostalgic...but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling of nostalgia.

Naruto lay down on his back, disregarding the stray piece of grass tickling the inside of his ears, and looked up at the sky.

The bright blue sky was being randomly occupied by Cumulus clouds of different size and shape, but they all had the same cotton-like appearance that characterized them. Traveling the sky with a lazy snail pace was their specialty, and observing their slow parade made Naruto feel sleepier that what he really was.

The warmth of the sun combined with the fresh breeze made him feel comfortable as he was slowly claimed by the land of dreams…

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><p>Naruto was aroused from his catnap two hours later by a sound that he had only heard a couple of times before.<p>

In his half asleep state it took him some time to remember what that loud, wailing sound was or what it meant, but when he did, he immediately jolted awake… it was the emergency siren.

'_Could it be another simulation?'_ Naruto shook his head. Had it been a simulation everybody would have been informed several days before. Something was not right…

The blond raised his gaze at the sky and a gasp escaped his mouth. "W-what is going on?" Naruto was alarmed, over his head several of the most advanced combat aircrafts had just passed like a flock of birds.

'_Aren't those things units of the U.N?'_ He could faintly remember Kensuke talking about a new aircraft model of the U.N. A model that when described was exactly the same as those that Naruto had just seen traveling the sky.

But what could possibly the emergency be? The only thing that Naruto knew was that it must have been something serious for the United Nations to deploy their private army.

He followed with his eyes the path of the Heavy Fighter Jet-VTOL gunships and his eyes widened when he saw what they were fighting against.

"A monster…" The shocked blond whispered.

Sachiel, The Third Angel, had appeared.

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><p><strong>EN:Thanks for reading!**

** I wasn't really planning in starting another story until I finished the ones still in progress, but one day a small idea popped into head and that small idea grew and grew until it became a whole scenario for another story...and, well, you know the rest.**

**About the pairings. The main pairing is going to be Naruto/Asuka. Why? Because I prefer Asuka over Rei (sorry Rei fans.)! I'm also thinking in pairing Shinji with someone...Maybe Mana?**

**Anyways, please review and tell me what you think, after all, I mainly write FF to improve my english.**

**Ok, gracias y hasta luego!**

**Taco & Sombrero**


	2. Chapter 2: The Transfer and the Beast

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or Naruto, they both belong to their respective creators.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Transfer and the Beast<strong>

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><p>Two weeks had passed since the angel Sachiel descended and wrecked chaos and destruction in the city known as Tokyo-3.<p>

The sudden assault of the angel was kept a secret from the general populace; web cobs of lies clouded the incident and blocked further information of spreading out…but even so, it wasn't enough. The government's and Nerv's information control wasn't able to stop people from inquiring about the numerous giant craters marring the streets and the once tall, proud buildings now turned into piles and piles of rubbish and concrete.

Scars of a recent battle, that's what they were… and the people somehow knew it.

Sprouting rumors about a giant robot battling to protect the city only ignited the flame of curiosity of the civilians. But also fear started to be infused in the general populace. Somehow, the last fortress of humanity didn't seem as secure as before…

Alas, even with their insecurities gnawing at their hearts, people needed to move on and continue with their normal routines.

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><p>'<em>This is bad!'<em> Naruto thought as he raced through the sidewalk on his way to his school. Green and lively trees accompanied the side of the sidewalk, but the nature-loving blond didn't have time to stop and admire them. He had overslept-not for the first time mind you- but it seemed that this time he wouldn't reach the school gates before they closed.

The soles of his white sneakers burned at the furious pace the blond was imposing on them. Thankfully for him there weren't many people blocking his way so he could let loose without the fear of crashing against someone. And let loose he did.

He took a turn; his sneakers squealed like tires of a drifting car, a small cloud of smoke also appeared as if accentuating the sudden stop he made. He now had a clear view of his school and the school gate was only around 50 meters out of his reach. His blue eyes brightened with relief at the thought of getting to school in time, but those same eyes widened when he saw his physical education teacher, Matsumoto Kenta, pulling the large iron fence closed.

The P.E teacher stopped in his chore to wipe the sweat clinging to his forehead, and when he did so, his eyes met Naruto's… his lips curved into a smug smirk.

'_I got you now, Uzumaki.'_ With renewed vigor, the middle-aged teacher resumed closing the gate. He was trying his hardest to leave Naruto out of the courtyard. It's not like he hated the boy, in fact, he actually liked him, but he despised tardiness and he wanted, no, _needed_ to teach Naruto a lesson about punctuality.

Naruto saw what his teacher was trying to do, and he didn't like it a bit. _'No you won't.'_ He step up his pace in a desperate rush to the gates. This wasn't the first time teacher and student faced each other in this particular competition of wills, but all the others past battles had left an unpunished Naruto and one sore, defeated and humiliated teacher.

However, this time the odds were in favor of the brown haired P.E teacher…

With a loud, metallic clang the gate was shut closed and Matsumoto Kenta didn't waste a second in pushing, pressing and pulling all the locks necessary to make sure the blond stayed outside. He exhaled heavily. The muscles on his arms ached at the sudden effort and his favorite jersey was now drenched in sweat, yet he felt rather accomplished, the gate was locked and the blond troublemaker was kept outside…he'd sure taught him a lesson this time.

Naruto let out a curse under his breath, his teacher had finished his task and was now walking away towards the schools building, one hand deep into one the pockets of his blue track-pants and the other one waving in the air in a mock farewell. He was being underestimated, and if there was one thing that ticked Naruto Uzumaki the wrong way was being underestimated.

It was time to teach the teacher a lesson.

Instead of stopping, Naruto kept running with the same determination as before towards the closed gate. There was no gate high enough to keep the blond whirling outside.

He scanned his surroundings in milliseconds, and his eyes settled on something he discarded as trash at first glance, but closer inspection revealed that in the pile there were some old chairs and desks ready to be disposed of.

He could use them…

Naruto had confidence in his acrobatics. He only needed something, _anything_, to step on to get an impulse. Although the chairs and desks seemed dangerously unstable, Naruto deemed them good enough to fulfill what he'd in mind. Once he got that extra boost the rest would be piece of cake…or a bowl of Ramen in his case.

Chose his course of action, he changed his trajectory towards the pile of discarded school utilities settled just next to the main gate.

He got close enough and then jumped at one worn out desk. Naruto's right foot stepped on the wood surface and the desk creaked loudly. It was bound to collapse…but Naruto got what he needed. He released all the pent-up energy he'd gathered in his right leg and leaped off.

…The desk collapsed not a second later.

With the jump, Naruto build up enough momentum as to manage to plant his left foot on the wall and then kicked up to reach the wall's ledge. He grabbed the ledge with both hands.

The hard part was done. Naruto now only had to scramble up the wall, something which he easily did.

He stood high up on the wall, the height was considerably but not once did he bat an eyelash. No hesitation, no vertigo, no fear… it was as if the blond had been born to stand up on places where a misstep was fatal. A natural climber, that's what he was.

Naruto searched for a place to land after his heroic feat, and by mere coincidence did his eyes found the form of his retreating teacher…he pondered. It wasn't that much of a distance, but it was still hard to reach without space to gain impulse… it would be a great finishing touch for his exploit though. Naruto smirked like the fox that had caught the sheep.

Meanwhile, Matsumoto Kenta was still sauntering away in his slow but steady – and a little prideful- pace. The supposed post-victory bliss hadn't left his organism yet, and his arrogance blinded him from noticing that the sunrays were no longer raining on him, and instead, a looming shadow grew in size as it closed on him.

His pride cost him greatly. It happened too fast for him to know exactly what hit him. At first he only felt a sudden weight on his back and the next thing he knew his body was propelled forward. He was careless and therefor his unprepared legs couldn't react in time to save him from the inevitable… Matsumoto Kenta fell not unlike the way the mythical Tower of Babel did in the old tales.

The teacher fell to the ground face-first and literally ate dust. Bitter…very bitter dust that tasted at nothing but failure and humiliation.

"Better luck next time, Sensei!"

The teacher's prone figure shook with rightful fury at the taunting of the Uzumaki. He stood up hastily only to see Naruto entering the main building, and still chuckling at his expenses.

Matsumoto Kenta couldn't hold it any longer. His face had turned red and his clenched fists trembled. Finally he released all his pent-ups frustrations in a loud, anger-filled yell that chanted his defeater's name.

"Uzumaki!"

Later that day he would curse Naruto's surname once again when he discovers the footprint of Naruto's shoe on the back of his precious blue jersey…

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><p>Naruto was now currently dozing off on his seat, without a care in the world and not paying an ounce of attention at his rambling classroom teacher.<p>

He had to wait outside of the classroom for the perfect moment to sneak in, and when his oldie teacher had turned to face the blackboard and started one of his unnecessarily drawn-out ramblings, Kensuke had gave him the okay sign and he'd slipped into the room without making a sound or rousing suspicion.

The teacher never noticed the new addition to his class…

"As a result, the oceans water's level rose… the earth axis was altered, causing climatic anomalies that threatened the existence of all the living beings in the world. This tragedy received the name of Second Impact…"

The never-ending lecture about the Second Impact was at full-force by now and Naruto had to struggle to prevent his eyelids from closing, because he knew that if they closed he would undergo a deep slumber in just a matter of seconds.

'_Must…not…sleep.'_ He was fighting a losing battle, and he knew it_. 'What the hell…just for a few seconds…' _

A loud thud was heard when Naruto's face slammed –not so gently- into his desk, and everyone in the classroom -except the teacher- turned their heads to look at the source of the noise, but no one was willing or brave enough as to disturb the resting blond.

…

Seconds passed by.

…

Then the seconds turned to minutes.

…

And the Uzumaki was still in snooze-land. Until…

"Ehhhh?"

Noisy sounds of surprise and amazement were released in synchrony by his classmates and he, reluctantly, rose from his sleeping position. His half-awake eyes then focused on the source of the commotion that brought live to the almost dead-from-boredom class.

Seated in the center of the room, surrounded by people and looking embarrassed from all the attention he was getting, was the 'new' student Shinji Ikari.

At first Naruto didn't understood what the big deal was but then he heard glimpses of the conversations Shinji was having with several classmates at the same time while being bombarded with their questions.

"How were you chosen?"

"Did you have to do an exam?"

"Were you afraid?"

"What's the cockpit like?"

"Well, uh, I have to keep such things secret…"Shinji timidly answered.

"What's the name of the robot?"

'_Robot?'_ All the sleepiness left in the blond had banished by now. _'Are they talking about…'_

"I'm not sure, sometimes they call it EVA and others they call it Unit 01…" Shinji continued answering any questions the best he could.

Naruto, meanwhile, was lost in thought_. 'EVA…There's no doubt; they are talking about the robot that defended the city, the one that killed that monster.'_ Suddenly, Naruto found a new admiration towards Shinji for being the pilot of the thing that protected everyone, but he was unaware of deeper and darker feelings also brewing in his interior.

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><p>It was lunch break and Naruto wasn't hungry, something very strange by itself, but something that made it even stranger was that Naruto was strolling through the halls with an almost empty look in his eyes.<p>

Tōji and Kensuke weren't by his side, another anomaly, but Naruto couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. The only things in his mind were the events that had happened two weeks before and the newfound discovery of one of his classmates secrets.

Since Shinji Ikari first stepped inside the classroom 3-A, Naruto knew there was something different about him. At first he didn't pass unperceived -being new and all- but also because the declining rate of students made it harder to be unnoticed. Somehow in just a couple of days, Shinji had disappeared from the radars, and everyone had forgotten that a new student had joined them not a week ago… everyone, except Naruto.

The Uzumaki _-like many others-_, had tried approaching Shinji not just once, but several times, and all those times it would be a one-sided conversation with Naruto doing the talking and Shinji just listening and answering in a brief, unassertive way that didn't leave room for more chatting. It was just too hard to approach him… Shinji was like a turtle, hid way too deep into its own shell where not a trace of the outside world would ever reach it, where not even the dimmest ray of sunlight would ever reach the perpetual darkness that surrounded the scared turtle.

Naruto eventually decided to give him space and let him get out of his shell at his own pace. But two weeks had gone by and there wasn't a single change in the black haired boy's attitude.

When Naruto came back to his senses he was standing in an isolated area of the school-grounds, far away from the watchful eyes of the teachers, witnessing a peculiar event that involved the pilot he was just thinking about and his best friends.

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><p>A smack and then a thud were heard when Shinji Ikari's body hit the floor. He struggled to sit up, and when the coppery taste of his own blood reached his taste buds, he wiped his mouth to try and stop the flow of blood coming from his split lip.<p>

Standing over him was Tōji with a pissed-off expression on his tanned face and cracking the knuckles of the hand he'd used to strike Shinji.

"Sorry, transfer, but I've got to beat you up!" Tōji's usual jovial voice was replaced with a duller and colder version as he spoke to Shinji. "I've got to work off my anger." With that said he turned around and walked away.

Shinji just glared at his back from his downed position until Kensuke approached him. "Sorry, his little sister was injured because of the battle… That's his excuse, anyway." Kensuke, after trying to justify the actions of his friend, also walked away.

"I didn't pilot it by choice…"It was no louder than a whisper, but somehow Tōji heard the boy's reply and marched back towards him –pushing Kensuke away in the process.

Tōji roughly pulled Shinji up by the neck of his shirt and glared at him. Shinji refused to look at his aggressor in the eyes, something that made Tōji get even more irritated. Tōji sneered and was about to sock the meek boy again, until a hand with a strong grip closed around his fist and stopped his punch mere centimeters away from connecting with Shinji's face.

"That's enough, Tōji." The one grabbing Tōji's hand was none other than Naruto Uzumaki, and he didn't seem pleased with what he was seeing.

The commanding voice of Naruto almost made Tōji release the boy in his grasp immediately but he didn't, and instead he turned and glared at the blond holding him back. Naruto returned the glare with a stare and never broke eye contact with him.

There was tension in the air as the two friends confronted each other in a stare down. Kensuke stood some distance away, worried that they may resort to punches, and Shinji –Still being held up by the tightening fist of Tōji- could only look between the two of them confused at what was happening.

Tōji's brown eyes were filled with anger, irritation and impotency, while Naruto's azure pools held calm, resolve and understanding. The two stared at each other, engaged in one of the two forms of conversation where only people like Tōji and Naruto could truly understand and convey their feelings when words failed; the other form being with the fists.

Finally, after several never-ending seconds of tension, Tōji released Shinji and let him meet the ground once again. In return, Naruto broke his hold on Tōji's fist, and the tanned teen didn't wait a second to march away.

"H-hey, Tōji!" Kensuke saw Tōji walking away hastily and he looked at Naruto before turning on his heel and following his best-friend.

Naruto sighed as he watched them go, but then smiled and went towards Shinji. "Need a hand?" He asked.

Shinji, unsure of what to do, stared up at Naruto. His hand was extended, inviting him to take it. The seriousness he had when confronting Tōji was completely gone and now only friendliness could be perceived in him. The sun shone on his blond hair giving it an almost ethereal glow and a large grin stretched over his whiskered face convinced Shinji that he meant no harm, so he finally took the offered hand and got to stand on his feet once again.

"Thank you, Uzumaki-san."

"Please, Naruto is fine. Uzumaki-san makes me feel old." Naruto said, while brushing the dirt off Shinji's white uniform shirt.

Shinji accepted the friendly gesture with a nod of his head."Hai…Naruto-san."

The Uzumaki chuckled. He still thought the 'san' suffix was a tad unnecessary, but let it slide for the moment. Naruto then scratched the back of his neck-a habit he had since child that appeared whenever he was nervous or in an uncomfortable position- and addressed the matter at hand. "Hey, look, I'm sorry about what happened. Tōji isn't a bad guy… it's just that he's been under a lot of stress recently, you know, his sister being in the hospital and all."

To Shinji, the words that Naruto had spoken felt like a wall of bricks falling on top of him. The blond hadn't done it deliberately, but Shinji felt blamed and responsible of the hurt, and maybe dead, that had occurred during his first deploy within the Eva.

Naruto noticed the dark cloud of depression hovering over Shinji and quickly tried to redeem the situation. "H-hey, it's not like I'm blaming you!" He said, his hands waving rapidly in front of him. "It's the complete opposite! If it wasn't for you then, well, I wouldn't be talking with you right now." Naruto finished with a nervous chuckle, obviously trying to laugh off the fact that he had just mentioned his possible death.

Shinji cheered up, but just slightly, mortifying thoughts still weighted him down. "I'm not even sure what happened in there…"

Naruto quickly catch up. Shinji was talking about his time piloting the giant robot also known as Unit-1, if Naruto remembered correctly, and the black haired boy didn't seem very fond of the memory.

A sturdy, rough hand grasped Shinji's shoulder and the boy, surprised by the gesture, raised his gaze from the floor to Naruto's face, only to encounter the shining, face-splitting grin so characterized of Naruto. "Well, what I'm sure is that it takes some serious guts to kick the ass of that monster. Believe it or not, I saw that thing with my own eyes! Damn was it ugly!"

The enthusiasm shown by Naruto made Shinji show a shy, but sincere smile. "Naruto-san…Thank you."

"No, thank _you_," Naruto replied back, his grin still in full-force. "But seriously, drop it with the 'san'. Naruto is just fine."

Shinji was about to say something, but then, a voice, as soft as silk and as gentle as the caress of a breeze called out. "Ikari-kun…"

The aforementioned and his blond companion turned to meet the owner of such a soft voice. The blue hair, the ever-stoic persona… It was Rei Ayanami.

"An emergency call…I'll go on ahead." No hellos or goodbyes, only bussiness. She simply said what she had to say and then left running, the cast in her arm and parched right eye didn't seem to hinder her movements at all.

She was already gone before either Naruto or Shinji could say something.

"What was all that about…? And what did she meant when she said an emergency call?" Naruto had never heard Rei speak so many words at a time before, but what really intrigued him was that those words were said specifically to Shinji; Rei hadn't even spared a glance at him…

Shinji said nothing. But the pieces of the puzzle started coming together in Naruto's mind, and soon he had figured out the relationship between Shinji and Rei.

"She's a pilot too, isn't she?" The answer Naruto got was a slight nod in confirmation coming from the black haired boy. The blond chuckled awkwardly before saying. "At least that explains why she always comes to school with some kind of injury… I thought she was just clumsy!"

"So…" Naruto continued. "The city will be attacked by one of those things again?"

Another nod came from Shinji, but this time he also muttered a worried 'probably' under his breath.

"…"

The silence told Naruto everything…Shinji was worried, even scared, at the prospect of having to deploy in combat once again, but honestly, who could blame him? Giant monsters were attacking the city and he had to pilot an equally enormous robot in order to battle them. Shinji wasn't born for fighting, that much was obvious. He wasn't one of those dashing Shounen-manga heroes that piloted Mechs gallantly without an ounce of fear…he was just a normal middle-schooler -even younger than Naruto himself- that had been thrown directly into the jaws of hungry wolves.

The blond felt bad for Shinji. He wanted to help him… support him with the heavy load he was forced to carry on top of his young shoulders… but he knew he couldn't do much for him.

Shinji was rooted to his spot, still looking at the direction Ayanami left. He knew he had to get going, but his body felt cold, as if frozen, and therefor refused to move. He knew it was just a matter of time for him to return to the cockpit of Eva-1, but he wasn't ready. Training hadn't helped dissipate the insecurities that still plagued his mind, and also training couldn't ever compare to a real, life-risking, combat situation.

"I know you can do it."

Shinji heard those words the same time he felt a firm pat on his back. It was Naruto who did it, and he was still smiling at him with the same confidence he always had. "I believe in you!" He said.

"You…believe in me?" Shinji Ikari didn't know how to feel about the blond. In the two weeks he had been enrolled in the school several times his eyes had been drawn towards Naruto.

Naruto Uzumaki was the kind of guy that didn't judge anyone; he was friendly, funny and considerate. That's why he was friends with everyone in their classroom and also with others of different classes. He was reliable; Shinji could remember how the Class Rep would often trust Naruto with important tasks when she needed help. He was also strong enough as to protect himself and the others around him if it comes to a fight and most importantly, his unlimited confidence in himself made him a gravitational center that attracted everyone.

…Not only once had Shinji found himself glancing at Naruto with a mixture of admiration and jealousy -something that aggravated him since the Uzumaki had been one of the few who had tried befriending him-.

"You really think I can do it?" Shinji asked.

"Yep. You did it once, so you can do it again!"

Shinji had to admit that it was nice to have someone believe in him, but he had to question why Naruto had so much faith in him when they barely knew each other. "…Why?"

"Why, you ask…?" The blond pondered for a moment, his arms crossed around his chest. "Because you're my friend!"

The reply caught Shinji out of guard. It was a simple, but also honest answer to the question that Shinji had formulated. _'Friend…'_ Even if he wanted to he wasn't able to say anything back. Naruto's warmness had left him speechless…

"Listen, Shinji," Shinji didn't have time to sort out his fumbled thoughts because Naruto spoke again. "It's okay to have doubts. It's okay to be scared. But if you don't believe in yourself, then believe in me!"

By now, Shinji was focused completely on Naruto and his small speech. The words spoken by the blond were said with so much intensity that they were being engraved on Shinji's mind. "Believe in the Naruto that believes in you!"

In the end, Naruto struck a heroic pose only to look cool…

His made up speech had the desired effect. Shinji had never felt so much motivated before. He still had his doubts, but if someone was willing to believe in him then he'd try his best to correspond those feelings.

"Hai! I have to go now, Naruto-san!" Shinji said with determination.

Naruto nodded. "Kick some monster ass for me!"

The young pilot also nodded before going off in the same direction Rei had gone not so long ago. Naruto watched him go to the distance, he tried to keep a smile on his face but as soon as Shinji was out of sight, he let it drop. _'Why must it be you?'_

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><p>Some minutes later after Shinji went off, the emergency alarm woke up once again and in a matter of a few minutes a whole, complex operative mobilized police and army alike to evacuate and safely relocate civilians into previously designed shelters made from the strongest steel and concrete existent.<p>

Most people waited anxiously inside the shelters, but not Naruto. The blond had taken to follow after his two wayward friends Tōji and Kensuke through the thick forest surrounding the city.

He'd overhead their plan of getting out of the shelter in order to see the catastrophic battle that would soon be raging on the surface, and although normally he'd have bashed them in their heads for trying to do something so stupidly dangerous, Naruto himself felt curiosity blind his better judgment. Many nights he'd spend reminiscing about the haunting, obscene being that had put the city and all of its habitants in spine-chilling suspense.

He hadn't been lying when he told Shinji that he had seen it. The long arms, broad shoulders, dark-green skin were some characteristics of it that Naruto was able to burn to his memory. For a brief moment the neck-less creature and the teen had exchanged glances, and it was then than Naruto saw the beaked face made of bone that would intrude on his dreams for many days and nights…

Naruto's survival instincts had kicked in when he felt the overwhelming presence of the beast that didn't even flinch when it was assaulted with a rain of bullets and missiles, and ran went to the nearest shelter he could remember. He still couldn't understand why that creature hadn't attacked him the moment it laid its hollow eyes on him…

Now another of those things was going to attack the city, and Naruto, instead of feeling scared, felt propelled to watch the outcome of the battle.

"Awesome! I've waited for so long to see this!" Kensuke exclaimed. Tōji was at his side and his ever-reliable camcorder was being used to its fullest to record the breath-taking moment the moment the dreaded enemy appeared.

Naruto was also watching. He stood some meters away from his friend to avoid being detected, but he still had a nice view of the city, and therefore, of the monster assaulting it.

The enormous creature was very different from the last one. With its serpentine, crimson-red body, it slithered through the modified, armored buildings that had rose since the city activated its defense protocol. The monster then rose vertically like some Cobras do when preparing to attack and revealed the sentient ribcage projecting from the hollow region of its chest. Instead of arms, the creature had two long, glowing purple whips and, incrusted on the underside of its pointy head, was an orb that resembled the body in its color.

"Just in time!"

Naruto looked at the place Kensuke was pointing his camcorder at to observe how a seemingly normal building started producing an orchestra of mechanical sounds before opening up on one side and finally revealing what laid in its interior.

Everyone observing immediately knew what it was. The weapon, the behemoth, the robot… the rumors didn't do it justice.

Standing as tall as many of the building scraping the atmosphere and painted in a scheme of purple and neon green was an armored titan born of knowledge, steel and who knows what else. Built to resemble its human creators, it was both a science wonder and an ultimate weapon against invaders.

"It's here."

"Evangelion…"Said Naruto in a whisper, entranced by the mighty humanoid robot. Its power was tangible and extremely alluring to the blond teen.

The combat started when the robot got out of his cover and shoot at the creature with a giant version of a Gatling gun it had quickly seized. Rounds as big as cars rained down that day when the robot didn't spare a bullet against its enemy. The monster stood unmoving as it was showered with blaze and bullets coming from the furious Vulcan. When the rotary cannon finally stopped dealing pain and slowed down, a thick mantle of dark smoke had covered the serpent-like enemy.

The spectators (Tōji, Kensuke and Naruto) held their breath. They couldn't see through the thick smoke permeating the area and therefor couldn't know the fate of the invader.

Suddenly, whips of light cut through the smoke and hadn't the purple behemoth jumped to the floor at the right time, it would've been sliced in half like some building that weren't so lucky.

"Oh man… that punch really messed him up, Tōji."

"Sh-shut up!"

Considering Rei's condition, Naruto deduced that the one piloting the Evangelion was Shinji. And he, with growing concern over his friend well-being could do nothing but watch as the monster attacked over and over again with its deathly whips at the robot. Maybe it was luck, or maybe it was skill, but Shinji somehow managed to evade the lethal blows.

The same show continued for a while, with Shinji dodging for his life, and the monster remodeling the landscape with its vicious whips, but with his Vulcan cut in half and with no means to counterattack, Shinji's panorama was looking grim.

In the end, his luck ran out and Eva-1 was sent crashing to a building after receiving a powerful blow.

The overwhelming Snake monster then lashed out and wrapped a whip around the robot's ankle before pulling, lifting the gigantic robot with ease, and ultimately send it flying like a ragdoll.

Seeing a purple robot of several feet of height being thrown into the air was not something one sees every day, but Naruto didn't have time to be amazed. _'No!'_ The falling robot was heading towards them, if he didn't do something then the frozen Kensuke and Tōji would end up crushed under the machine.

Making use of his impressive speed for the second time in the day, Naruto rushed to his friend's aide. The earth shook with the collision of the titan and when the cloud of dirt lifted, it was revealed that Naruto had just barely got his stunned friends out of harm's way.

"You okay, guys?" He asked.

"N-Naruto?" That was Tōji, and Naruto had never seen him as scared as he was before. The younger boy was shaking, his tan skin was pale and his eyes were brimming with tears, but he was still able to speak –unlike Kensuke, who looked as disheveled and even more scared that Tōji-.

The blond only nodded and just his presence calmed down the agitated boys, but before they could get away, the monster approached hovering over the Eva. The creature lashed out with its whips again and the Eva defended by grabbing them, its plated hands burning as it did so.

"Why won't he fight it?" Tōji asked.

Over the sound and lightning of the whips, Kensuke found his ability to speak back. "It must be because we're here…He can't move!"

'_Shinji…'_ Naruto saw the reasoning behind Kensuke's word, indeed they were close to the battle and one sudden move of the Eva could end up hurting one of them.

The Uzumaki was about to take his friends away from the battle when pieces of armor on the spine section dissembled and a large metal tube was ejected. "You three, get in!" The voice wasn't Shinji's, it belonged to a woman, but that didn't matter at the time. A rope stair descended from the tube and Naruto beckoned his friends to climb it up.

The first one to enter the tube was Tōji. "What? There's water!"

The secod one was Kensuke, who quickly tried to protect his camcorder getting wet. "My camera! My camera!"

Bringing the rear was Naruto and when he entered the dark tube, he immediately knew that the liquid they were bathing in wasn't water…It smelled like blood.

The boys panicked at first at being underwater, but then discovered that they could breathe once they stopped struggling and allowed the strange liquid access to their lungs.

"Entry Plug restarting."

The light returned to the cockpit and Naruto saw Shinji holding onto the internal controls, cringing and grunting as in pain while trying to keep the monster almost on top of him at bay.

"Shinji!" Naruto called out at him in concern, but the younger boy didn't reply.

The Evangelion manage to push the hovering monster away and stand up. Its hand badly burned.

"Now! Retreat!" The voice ordering the retreat was the same one that had told Naruto and his friend to enter the plug, probably Shinji's superior.

"Take recovery route 34. Head to the mountain's eastern side!"

Shinji did nothing…

"Hey, Transfer, she said, 'Run away!'" Tōji tried to get Shinji out of his trance, but it was useless. "Transfer!"

"I can't run away… I can't run away…" Naruto observed how Shinji got more confident as he whispered those words as a mantra.

The Evangelion took out the Progressive Knife out of its left shoulder pylon, ready to take the offensive.

"Shinji-kun, listen to me! Fall back now!"

No words would reach him now. With the knife gripped on the right hand, Shinji let out a battle howl and motioned the Eva to charge. The Machine slid down the hill, demolishing trees, rocks and anything else that was on its path.

The Serpentine monster waited, and when Eva-1 got close enough, it lashed out and this time both of his deathly tentacles pierced the Eva on the stomach.

Inside the Entry Plug, Shinji jerked in pain, but released another yell and used the knife to stab at the crimson orb under the monster's head.

Thirty mortifying seconds passed that way, Shinji yelling and suffering a burning pain that none of the others boys could understand while trying his hardest to penetrate the core.

The timer of the internal battery was down to ten and sparks flew as the knife grinded into the enemy who couldn't escape as its whips were stuck between the platted armor of the Eva.

"Come on, Shinji! You can do it!" Over his shouting, Shinji heard Naruto encouraging him and with one last push the knife penetrated the hard core just before the timer hit zero. The Evangelion died down and then was bathed in the blood of the Shamshel, the fourth angel.

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><p><strong>EN: Thanks for reading. Expect the next chapter soon. Opinions and suggestion as well as constructive critiques are always appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3 Naruto's Journal 1

**A/N: Hello and welcome to a new chapter of this story. First of all I must say...man you guys really know your anime. Seriously I'm glad to see people who knows about Gurren Lagan, another great show of Gainax...  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or Naruto, they both belong to their respective creators.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Naruto's Journal 1<strong>

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><p>'<em>11:30. Almost midnight…Another sleepless night, huh?'<em>

Naruto Uzumaki rolled around on his futon, desperately trying to keep his eyes closed and his roaming mind under control.

"Oh come on! I got school tomorrow!" In his frustration, Naruto sat up and ruffled his blond hair. Finally he sighed and relented to his fate, sleep was something he wouldn't get that night. After such a tiring day, anyone would find sleeping an easy task, but Naruto wasn't like most people.

He sighed once again before standing up from his futon and walking out of his room and into the hallway of the apartment where he and his ojisan lived. He entered the bathroom and let the cold water of the sink soothe his stinging eyes. It was frustrating, he wanted to sleep, his eyes were heavy and tired, but his restless mind wouldn't let him.

He closed the cold-water tap and stayed there with the cold drops of water running down his face. Then he remembered something that could get him to sleep, but that only in extreme cases used_. 'I guess I have no other choice.'_

He returned to his room, where he promptly turned on the lights and then walked to a small desk in the corner of his room.

It was a simple oak table with only one drawer but with enough space on its surface to house, at least, four encyclopedias. He sat on the single chair accompanying the table and reached to its only drawer. He opened it up and rummaged in for a few seconds, before pulling out his hand along with a small notebook with a gray cover.

The notebook was Naruto's journal –he refused to call it a diary- and in there, Naruto vented out his frustrations, worries and experiences. As stated before, he rarely used it, but sometimes his mind was full of thoughts and in order to drain those thoughts, he needed the journal. It was a gift from his grandma, but he'd never used it until his ojisan suggested him that writing in it might help him relieve some stress.

He opened his journal to a clean page and let the haunting thoughts soak into the paper…

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><p><em>It's been a while since the last time I actually wrote something in you, eh, Journal?<em>

_I guess it was because I didn't have anything interesting enough to write about, but now it's the total opposite. Man, How I miss those boring and uneventful days!_

_Before, I only had to worry about getting to school on time, but now I don't even know if going to school will help me at all in the future. Not if _those things_ win._

_Everything is just too weird, all of sudden giant monsters start attacking and destroying everything in the city, and to stop them it is necessary to use an equally giant robot whose pilot is even younger than me!_

_Unbelievable… why is there a boy piloting something as dangerous as that! What the hell is the government thinking! Why isn't the pilot someone like a soldier or, or, I don't know, an adult! Why must it be a kid the one risking his life against those monsters…?_

…

…

_His name is Shinji Ikari, the pilot I mean, and as I said before he's younger than me. He's the same age as Tōji and Kensuke, making him two years younger. He's quiet, shy and polite, totally what you wouldn't expect from someone with a weapon like the Eva, in other words…he's just not cut to fight._

_It's not like I doubt him or anything, after all, I have seen with my own eyes how skilled he really is, heck, he has already dealt with two of those things!_

…_But I've also seen how much piloting affects him, physically and mentally. It's obvious that he doesn't want to do it, he doesn't want to get hurt, but why does he keeps piloting? Is he being forced to do it? Surely NERV can bring someone else! It's not fair to put such a weigh on the shoulders of someone so young!_

…_If I could, I would gladly take his place. It would be perfect. I don't mind fighting, that way I'd not only protect my precious people but also Shinji wouldn't have to be forced to pilot any longer…But that's just wishful thinking._

_Today I learned that the one pulling the strings is an organization called NERV, a name that I've heard before. Ojisan works there, so it was inevitable for me to hear him talking on the phone sometimes and that name would randomly show up, or find papers stamped with that strange NERV insignia. Who would've said that ojisan's workplace was such a shady place._

_Maybe, just maybe, if I talk to him I can learn more of NERV and even get to pilot an Eva…_

_Evangelion…now that was power. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, but the feeling I got when I entered that Entry Plug thing was something I've never felt before. It felt like if I was the Evangelion, fighting that monster with my own hands, protecting my precious people with my own hands…_

…_I've decided._

_I'm tired of watching others suffering to protect me, to sit back and watch while the lives of my friends and everyone else I care about are in danger. I'll do anything to protect Shinji, Kensuke, Tōji, ojisan and everyone else, that's a promise!_

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><p>Naruto glanced at his desk clock, it was past midnight and just then did he hear the opening of the front door along with the sound of jingling keys being set on the wooden table of the dining room. <em>'Must be ojisan.'<em> The blond thought.

He closed his precious notebook with utmost care; it was the only remaining memento of her grandmother he kept, and returned it to its original place, its chamber where it would wait until it was needed again.

Naruto moved from his room to the living room, and behind a stack of papers and documents was his ojisan, rubbing his forehead while standing.

"Ojisan…" He called out.

Inmediately, the pale and tired features on the face of the almost sexagenarian visually relaxed when he heard the voice of his charge. "Naruto-kun," The man then walked towards the Uzumaki and grabbed his shoulders. "How are you feeling? I heard you were involved with what happened today."

Naruto granted a smile at the honest care of the man that had took him in after he'd moved from the countryside. He'd known him for many years, even before he became his legal tutor. "I'm ok, ojisan."

Under the scrutiny of his ojisan's eyes, Naruto couldn't help but sigh. "I'm fine, ojisan, honestly." Seriously, his tutor worried too much, even if only hours ago he'd been on board of an enormous Mecha while it fought against a terrifying monster.

Eventually, Naruto was released and the elderly man walked into the kitchen to prepare some tea. "Why aren't you in bed then? Tomorrow's a school day."

"I know that, it's just that I can't…"

"I see. It's understandable after having such an exciting day," The man had now returned from the kitchen with his cup of tea and took a seat on the large, red sofa facing the wall mounted, 40 inches LCD television.

"Ojisan…"

"Hmm?" After drinking a sip of his beverage, the man with slicked gray hair turned to his charge." Yes? What is it, Naruto-kun?"

He wasn't going to waste any more time, he needed to know more, more about the shady NERV and more about the mysterious Evangelion. "What can you tell me about NERV, Fuyutsuki ojisan?"

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><p><strong>EN: I know, short, right? Mostly some insight about Naruto's life and thoughts. Honestly I think this chapter needs more work, but I'm impatient and want to get this fic on track. Next chapter we see Shinji paying the price for his rash actions, and some bonding between him and Naruto. As always, ideas and critique are appreciated.**

**Taco & Sombrero**


	4. Chapter 4: The Seventh Day

**A/N: I consider this chapter as the end of an arc. Be warned that this chapter contains heavy character development and slow paced, and the story will probably be that way, for at least, the next two chapters. There might still exist mistakes because I only did a quick revision of the document. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: The Seventh Day<strong>

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><p>…So on the seventh day he rested from all his work.<p>

Sunday, holy Sabbath, worshiped and expected by most citizens in the city known as Tokyo-3, a day to rest from the Calvary of the week, a day to reflect about past events and to prepare for the next wave of hardships that always happen to wash upon the shores of life…

For the students of Tokyo-3 First Junior High School, Sunday was an especially sacred day, that's because only in that day could they finally rest from homework, annoying teachers, club activities, lessons and everything else school related. Naruto –like many others of his peers- loved Sunday, the freedom to do whatever he wanted tantalized him and sleeping till noon was his way of expressing his gratitude to such a glorious day.

Naruto stifled a yawn as he walked out of the convenience store, had the doors not been automatic, he'd have surely crashed on them, but luckily for him they were, and so they opened smoothly and then closed behind him without a hitch.

With plastic in both of his hands, the blond began the walk back to his apartment. The clocks were about to mark midday, but even so there was a shroud of grey covering the roads and the air around him felt chilly and still humid from the rain of the day before. The streets were mostly empty, the depressing weather had probably scared the people away, and the track back to his home would seemingly be an uneventful one. Not that he minded for once.

…But there was something about Naruto that prevented him from having a normal day.

While waiting to cross the street, Naruto saw Shinji Ikari walking away looking dejected and carrying a large bag. He hadn't seen Shinji since, if he wasn't mistaken, six days, since the day they boarded the Eva-1. The blond considered calling him out, but decided otherwise, he'd to get home and sort out his ramen cups. Shinji was probably fine. Not five seconds later, he saw one suspicious, black van trailing after the young pilot. His eyes narrowed. There was no way Shinji was fine.

He sighed and cursed, he just couldn't have one normal, uneventful day…

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><p>Shinji roamed the city in turmoil. The empty roads fitted him just fine while he grieved in his solitude. He didn't have an exact destination; he just went wherever his feet took him. He was tired. He couldn't remember how long or how far had he walked, but he just didn't care, he couldn't stop his pace and neither did he want to.<p>

The soothing melody of Bach's Air on the G-String was his only solace at the moment, before him it had been Beethoven and before him Mozart, it didn't matter to Shinji which composer was as long as he could immerse in their music and drown out the world surrounding him.

The music stopped a second while the SDAT changed to the next song. Strauss replaced Bach at comforting Shinji…

When the violins in Blue Danube started their performance, Shinji broke out of his stupor long enough to notice that at his back five men dressed in black suits and glasses had stepped down from a van and were now following him.

The back haired boy's right hand twitched nervously and gripped his SDAT tighter while accelerating his pace. The men in black did the same and Shinji's hope banished…those men were after him.

Seeing no point in trying to escape, Shinji halted, took off his earphones and turned to face his pursuers.

"Shinji Ikari," One of the agents began. "We are from NERV Security Intelligence. We are to escort you to the main quarters by any means necessary, so don't resist and come peacefully with us."

Shinji, with his head low, pondered. He knew he'd to get back; he didn't have another option anyway because those men were going to take him back even if he didn't want to. He could never win against trained agents, it'd be better for him to just go with them to avoid being hurt.

"No…" The words that came out of his mouth weren't the words he should've said if he wanted to avoid conflict, but they were words coming from his heart, and they conveyed clearly his real feelings.

Silent, but slightly abashed and embarrassed at being denied by a boy, the agent that'd spoken before went forward and gripped the child's arm. The man in black tried pulling Shinji towards the van, but the pilot held remarkably rooted to his place.

"No," Shinji said again with the same quiet voice as before, but this time he attempted to break free from the adult manhandling him.

The agent was struggling with a boy much younger and lighter than him; he'd surely be laughed at by his fellow agent. "Stop making things hard for us, you little brat!"

Shinji felt his limb being stretched painfully and he feared the man's pulling might dislocate his arm, so he struggled harder to break free. "No! Let me go!"

Then, out of nowhere, a couple of heavy, plastic bags nailed the forceful agent right in the face and he fell to the ground in severe pain. The agents in the back tensed and looked around searching for whoever had thrown the bags.

Shinji however fixed his gaze on the plastic bags lying on the floor, and its contents spilling onto the concrete…Ramen cups.

In the midst of their confusion, Naruto leapt at another agent, kicked him out of the way and then, before they could catch him, rushed to Shinji. "This way!" The blond grabbed Shinji's arm and the pilot followed him without hesitation as he led him away from the agents.

Once they recomposed, the agents proved to be worthy opponents and experienced hunting hounds, they ran after the boys with office. But in the end, thanks to a combination of cunning and luck, the boys escaped from their pursuer's radars at least for the moment.

They kept running long after they lost sight of the agents. Shinji was panting and gasping as he struggled to keep Naruto's pace while trying to decipher where the blond boy was taking him. Shinji's legs were on fire and he lacked air in his lungs, but spurred on by Naruto he endured, and soon the pair had crossed the borders of the city and went deep into the dense forest surrounding the city.

Once in the woods, Naruto slowed down, but they kept moving. The terrain proved harder to navigate that in the city. Uneven ground, brushes with sharp thorns and narrow spaces complicated their journey.

After about half an hour of going through the woods, Shinji and Naruto finally reached a spacious clearing that Naruto deemed good enough to rest. Shinji immediately fell back into the ground to rest, but watched as Naruto inspected the surroundings. Both boys were covered in dirt, grime and scratches but other than that they were fine.

"Ah, here it is! Shinji, check this out!"

Naruto's voice rang out in the clearing and Shinji -although reluctant- followed him as he opened up a path through some dense bushes. Shinji –mindful of the sharp thorns- covered his face while crossing the foliage.

"Cool isn't it?"

What awaited them at the other side of the hidden path of bushes and thorns was something Shinji wasn't expecting to find in the middle of nowhere. Erected proudly before the boys was an old shack of sturdy wood, covered in mantles of leaves that camouflaged it with the surrounding foliage.

"Welcome, Shinji, to The Shack Hidden in the Leaves!"

While Shinji had to admit it was surprising to find a building so deep into that sea of green they called a forest, he still thought Naruto's excitement was a little misplaced. It may have been beautiful back in the time, but now the building seemed dangerous to live in. It was painfully obvious that the long wood planks of the frontage had been devoured from the inside day in, day out by many generations and families of termites. Moss also added its nice, green touch to the house as it collected on the worn-out walls and floors.

…A mortal trap more than a shack someone could live in. But still, Shinji found a certain shine in Naruto's blue eyes. Adoration clouded the blonde's iris as it watched the shack.

"Well? What're you waiting for, Shinji? Come on in!"

Without warning, Naruto leaded Shinji up the creaking steps to get a better look of the place. The lone window of the shack was obstructed by some branches of the nearby trees, but fortunately the glass was unbroken and the door next to it was in good conditions also.

Naruto –While humming a catchy tune- approached the door, gave three light taps at the upper left side, a punt at the bottom, turned the door knob counterclockwise, and like magic the door opened.

"Shinji, what's taking you so long?"

After seeing the conditions of the shack from the outside, Shinji feared what he might find on the inside, but still he followed after Naruto and into the hut. "Pardon my intrusion…"

Naruto laughed at the well-mannered boy, causing the poor boy to blush. "There's no need for that. You're a friend!" The boy nodded and tried to act more leisurely. They were friends after all.

To Shinji's surprise, the inside of the shack was more decent that what he was expecting. The walls, while still slightly rotten, had a nice tone of brown on them. There wasn't a lot of furniture, except for a couple of paintings and photos adorning the walls, the room was relatively empty; a small tea table, some chairs, a closet and some shelves was everything inside the shack.

"Oh man, with all that running I forgot that I actually need to use the bathroom! Be right back!"

He was gone before Shinji could say anything back, but the boy wasn't really surprised. In the short time Shinji had known Naruto he'd learned that the blond rarely stood still.

While Naruto was tending to his necessities, Shinji approached the rudimentary shelves and the few photo frames on it. By just looking at them one could tell that an amateur build the shelves, several nails stood out of place and the boards were unbalanced.

One particular frame caught Shinji's attention, he reached for it to take a closer look…three boys, Naruto, Tōji and Kensuke were smiling at the camera. Tōji was topless, in his right hand there was a fishing road and with his left hand was proudly showing a fat, large fish. Kensuke sported a green sleeveless shirt and camouflage pants, his cheeks had grime and dried mud, but his smile showed nothing else that happiness. Naruto was in-between the two boys, both of his arms were wrapped around his friend's shoulders and was also grinning brightly.

"That sure was a fun day…"

In fright, the black haired boy almost dropped the floor when he heard Naruto's voice. Either he was spacing out or Naruto was really good at being stealthy. "Naruto-san, please don't do that again!"

Naruto laughed over Shinji's shoulders. "Sorry, Shinji, sometimes I can't help it!"

"That photo is actually of the day when we found this place, you know?"

"Really?" Shinji asked.

"Yep. Don't tell him I said this, but Kensuke has one kind-of weird hobby, he likes to go camping and then reenact famous battles and wars from history."

Shinji nodded. "Okay…but what does that has to do with this place?"

"Hold your horses, Shinji, I'm getting to that!" He then cleared his throat and continued, "Well, one time Ken wanted us to tie him up to a tree so he could escape while we try to capture him. He escaped just as planned, but while he was running away from us he tripped and he'd his hand tied behind his back…so yeah, he rolled down a hill and found this place. Of course, it was in bad shape when we found it, but Ken's father helped us clean this place up. Ever since that day we use this place as our camping site and meeting place."

Shinji glanced back to the frame and to the happiness of the boys in it…a happiness he wasn't part of. "Then is it really okay for you to bring me here?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know…but somehow I feel like I'm intruding."

Realization reached Naruto. "I think I get it now. You think Tōji and Ken wouldn't want you in here?"

The silence was the answer that Naruto was expecting. "Shinji," the blond then sighed. "You don't need to worry about that. You see, they might not show it, but they're, no,_ we're_ really grateful for what you did for us."

"I didn't really do anything…"

Naruto snorted. "You mean saving our lives wasn't something important?"

"No, I didn't mean that! It's just that…I…"

Before Shinji could continue fumbling with his own words, Naruto spoke. "You're really Kind, Shinji. Even Tōji and Kensuke see that. You and Tōji might have started with the wrong foot, but Tōji is willing to change that, he just sucks at apologizing…what about you, Shinji? Would you like to turn the page and forgive him?"

"Yes…I would like that, Naruto-kun." Shinji still wasn't sure about his own feeling, but Naruto had done nothing but help him since they met and therefore trusted in him.

"Great, then you don't have to worry about anything; this place now belongs to you also!"

Shinji still wasn't sure what to make of the blond and his friends, but he'd to admit: having a place to call his own felt rather…nice.

* * *

><p>Time flew by like a bird soaring in the sky, an orange tinted sky with the sun drowning far away into the horizon.<p>

Our shack doesn't have electricity so now that night fell our only source of light is the fire consuming away the lumber in the fireplace. We're huddled close to the fire to warm our bodies and to ward away the deep darkness surrounding us. "This must be enough…" I stopped fanning the embers, now turned into blazing flames, once I made sure the fire wouldn't die on us.

After our little chat, I'd to break the news to Shinji that one of the responsibilities that came with the shared ownership of 'The Shack Hidden in the Leaves' was gathering lumber for the night. Unfortunately, that damned Kensuke forgot to tell me that our wood reserves were running low after our last incursion, so Shinji and I spend most of the afternoon gathering and cutting wood into usable pieces of lumber.

While we were at it, I learned that even if Shinji wasn't physically gifted, he worked hard once he put his mind and body into it…

Now here we are two, tired, dirty, hungry, stinky and very hungry guys sitting around the fire waiting for our ramen to finish cooking…damned Kensuke…fucking two minutes wait.

"Naruto-san…" I heard Shinji sitting to my left call my name and turned to him.

"Hm?"

"Is it ready yet?" Shinji, of course, was referring to his own cup of Ramen slowly cooking itself besides the fireplace. He must be as hungry as me or even more for him to be so impatient.

"Not yet," I replied. "If we don't wait for the full two minutes, the noodles aren't going to be soft enough to eat, but if we take too long the noodles will get soggy."

"…You know a lot about Ramen, don't you?"

I chuckled. "Well, yeah. To be honest, Ramen is the only thing I'm able to cook!"

Shinji joined me with a chuckle of his own. "Really? Then you're like Misato-san!"

Misato? Is she his friend? Or maybe his girlfriend? I ask Shinji about her and I instantly regret so when he falls silent and frowns at the floor. I'm about to tell Shinji that he doesn't have to talk about her if he doesn't want to, but he surprises me when he opens up on his own.

…

He told me that Misato is the name of his guardian, the person that took him in after he came to Tokyo-3. In that sense I realize that she is like Fuyutsuki-ojisan, he also took me in when I came to the city, but after Shinji finished telling me about her quirks and personality, I reached the conclusion that she was the complete opposite of Ojisan.

Seeing as Shinji was being rather talkative, I decided to take the chance and be blunt with what I really wanted to ask. "Was it because of her that you ran away?" I admit that I'm not the sharpest knife in the shelf, but it was kind of obvious that the men chasing after him were part of an organization and their mission was to capture the pilot of the Evangelion.

The last time I wrote in my dia- ermm, journal I'd wondered the same thing. Was NERV really forcing Shinji to pilot for them?

"…Yes"

Okay, Shinji really did run away because of that Misato chick, the question remaining was why.

When Shinji explained to me that his guardian was also a captain at NERV, and the one in charge of the operations against the 'angels' as he called them -honestly, I don't understand why they call those monsters 'angels', those monsters are anything but angelic- the pieces started falling together.

"I thought she was different, but I was wrong, she's just like all the other adults…like my father…they don't care about me, they just need someone to pilot the Eva for them."

Everything became clear as water for me. Back to the incident with that snake-like _angel_, when we climbed up into-what was it again? Entry plug…? Yeah, that's it! When we climbed up into the Entry plug we could clearly hear the voice of the woman barking out the orders. That must have been Misato, and if my memory serves me right, the last order she sent was for Shinji to retreat, but he didn't. He decided to stay and fight against the angel, even when in pain and with his life at risk…he fought and he won, and since then we- Tōji, Kensuke and I- saw Shinji in a new light.

He disobeyed an order, but is acting on free-will such a bad thing? He took a gamble, but that's what life is all about, and in the end he came through… wait, Shinji has a father?

"Shinji, if your father is in the city, why don't you live with him? I mean, he's family, right?"

My question was probably very insensitive, talking about family matters with an outsider would make Shinji feel uncomfortable, but I just wished to know more about him.

As expected, Shinji hesitated, but eventually relented and answered my question. "I…don't know anymore. When I was younger, he spent most of his time working…never sparing me a glance or words. But…when my m-mother died he started pushing me away. He sent me to live with an old teacher and I knew nothing more of him…then one day, he sends me a letter for the first time in ten years, 'come' was the only thing in it. He never cared for me, and I was stupid thinking he could change!"

For most of his tale, Shinji remained strong, but by the end of it, swelling emotions broke his voice. "I should've never come here! For the first time in my life I thought that he wanted to be with me! I was angry at him, but also happy for being needed…but I wasn't expecting to be treated like a tool by my own father!"

The dam broke; crystal tears fell down the curves of Shinji's cheeks and splattered into the worn-out planks. "I don't know what to do anymore…"

I watched through the whole ordeal with an impassive facade, but deep down I was boiling in rage. How could anyone do this to someone as kind as Shinji? It was then that I steeled my resolve…

This can't go on…being here…piloting the Evangelion was gradually killing Shinji from the inside out. I need to do something…I must help him.

I put a hand on his quaking shoulder, there wasn't anything else I could do but provide him some kind of support.

"Shinji…" My voice reached the ears of my fellow classmate and friend as he calmed down his rampant emotions. "I may not know what you're going through, or know what do you need to do, but you don't have to go through all of this alone. You see, I'm kind of new to this city as well…some years ago I lived in the countryside with my grandmother. Life was simple, but fun and full of new things to learn every day. Those were days I wished to never end…"

I walked down the memory line for a while, and Shinji must have seen my far-away look as he called out to me. "Naruto-san…what happened?"

I'm sure a bittersweet smile formed on my lips before continuing my tale. "They ended…"

**-Flashback-**

It was a day like many other in the life of a young Naruto Uzumaki. School had already ended and Naruto, decked in his black uniform walked down the river on his way back to his home. The water reflected the light of the sunset and the ever-green grass felt soft to walk through.

Things progressed slowly in a small town where everyone knew each other, but although simple, life in the town was fun and with new things to learn every day. Naruto was content; he lacked nothing and had no need for expensive things.

The blond checked his clock…almost seven. Naruto hurried his pace, it was almost time for dinner and it was Ramen night.

He reached the main square, but something was amiss. Normally, some of his neighbors would be talking in one of the benches surrounding the glorious statue in the center of the main square, elders reminiscing and children returning to their houses after a day of games, but that evening Naruto saw nothing…only the pigeons resting on top of the bronze statue.

The closer he got to his grandma's house; the feeling of disaster in the back of his head grew stronger.

He hurried his pace again, now breaking into a jog. And once he got close enough, he saw a mass of people congregated, his neighbors, friends, acquaintances…everyone was there. He approached the commotion to see what was going on, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw black smoke billowing from the direction of his home. Fearing the worst, Naruto dropped his backpack and made his way through the mass of gasping and scared people.

When he reached the front of the congregation, he also gasped. Fierce flames rose into the darkening sky, devouring the house of his precious childhood merciless. The smoke was suffocating and the heat was insupportable, but Naruto couldn't care less about that, the only thing on his mind at the moment was: _Where is Baa-chan?_

He looked around, but he couldn't find the blond hair with white streaks that he was so familiar it. He tried asking the people around him, but no one would give him a clear answer, the women cried and the men wouldn't look at his face…

Fear doused him like a bucket of cold water when he realized what was going on. In his panicked state, the boy tried to reach the house on fire, but a group of men held him back from going to his own death. Naruto struggled to break free to save his most precious person, but the men wouldn't let him. "Let me go! Let me go!" The blond yelled, kicked and punched in order to escape, but it was useless. "Baa-chan!Obaa-chan!"

The town cried as they saw the joyful kid that Naruto was break in front of them, being wounded in a way that would never heal. Ultimately, Naruto Uzumaki could do nothing but watch as the burning house finally collapsed under its own weight alongside his joyful days in the town where he lived.

**-Flashback End-**

"…She was my last alive relative, and now that I was alone I didn't know what to do. Many families offered to take me in, but I refused. It was too painful to remain there, so many memories, you know?" I took a deep breath and continued. "The day of the memorial service, another person offered to take me in, but he wasn't a person of the town. I knew him because he often visited Baa-chan, I'm not sure what kind of relationship they had, but they seemed _very_ close in my opinion. Kōzō Fuyutsuki was his name, and I accepted his offer because I couldn't stay any longer in that town… and that's how I came here."

"I'm sorry, Naruto-san."

"Don't be, shinji. You see the reason I told you all this was because I want you to know that even with everything that has happened I don't regret anything. Coming to Tokyo-3…I chose this path and it has led me to meet people who I consider precious to me now," I gave a firm pat on Shinji's back to emphasize my point. "So, it's up to you to decide what to do next, just make sure to follow a path that leaves you with nothing to regret. And whatever happens, remember that you have people supporting you at each step you take!"

Shinji stared at me for a moment; somehow I feel that my feelings got through. I'm sure that he understands I consider him a friend, even if we haven't known each other for too long.

"Naruto…thank you" A ghost of a smile lighted Shinji's face, and with that I've done my part. Now it is his turn to carve his own destiny.

"No problem." I replied before succumbing to a deep yawn. "I think it's time to go to bed now, we've had quite the tiring day, huh?"

Shinji smiles and nods. "Yes, I'm really tired as well…"

In no time, we spread our futons near the warmth of the fireplace and prepare to sleep after such an emotional night, but before we fall asleep, I've something else to say to Shinji. "Hey Shinji…when morning comes I won't be here."

"Huh?Why?" alarmed and scared are the emotions I could read in Shinji when he reacted to my words.

"Obviously because tomorrow's a school day, Monday, remember? But don't worry, you can stay here as long as you need to sort out your thoughts…but Shinji, you can't run away forever…you need to choose your path and follow it to the end."

"…" Silence; But I know he heard me…

What will he choose? Oh well, only time will tell…

* * *

><p>As Naruto promised, at the firsts rays of sunlight he woke up and begun the arduous journey back to the city.<p>

He intended to go to the apartment to get his things for school, but he knew that he wouldn't get that far into the city before _they_ found him. Just as expected, only a few minutes into the city and already the black vans of the day before had him surrounded like vultures around a corpse. The men in black then stepped down and approached the blond.

'_That was quick.'_ He was surrounded in no time by those tall men, and Naruto, seeing no sense in trying to fight back allowed the agents to close in on him.

Sighing, Naruto raised his arms in the air and the agents didn't waste time in subduing him. "Hey," yelped the blond. "Take it easy, will you? It's not like I'm resisting or anything!"

His hands were cuffed behind his back and a black bag then covered his face. As if being completely nullified wasn't enough, one agent decided to go for the extra mile and delivered a chop to the back of the neck of the blond.

* * *

><p>When Naruto returned to the land of the living, he found himself in a barely lighted room. His head was spinning and his neck hurt. He went to rub his stiffed neck, but found it impossible to do so; his hands were tied behind his back. His feet were also bound to the legs of the chair he was sitting in, and in front of him there was a desk, and behind the desk there was another chair.<p>

'_Great,'_ mused Naruto sarcastically. It was the typical interrogation scene from the movies…

"About time you woke up."

Naruto turned to face his interrogator, and he was pleasantly surprised to find a good-looking woman staring back at him.

The woman, who had just entered the dim room, went to the chair opposite from him, long purple hair sauntering behind her. She sat and faced the blond fully. "Captain Misato Katusragi of NERV's Tactical Operations division, I'm here to ask you some questions about the disappearance of Shinji Ikari."

First time Naruto heard her voice, he'd found it oddly familiar, and now he knew why. "Misato…You're the voice of when we were inside of the Evangelion!"

The woman, Misato, shook her head. "Yes, but no matter how stupidly foolish it was to be out of the shelter at that time, we're not here to discuss that, Naruto Uzumaki."

This serious woman sitting across him didn't match the description that Shinji had given him back at the shack. Rather than easy-going, irresponsible and aloof, this Misato struck him as a tough and competent professional.

"Now," She leaned closer to the table. "Where's Shinji?"

He wouldn't tell her anything, Shinji needed time alone, and Naruto wasn't so easily intimidated. "Your pretty, lady," He said with a goofy smile. "Too bad you're like thirty years older than me."

'W-what!' Open-mouthed, Misato stared at the guffawing blond. "Stop laughing! You know in how much troubles you're in? NERV has the authority to incarcerate you for withholding information!"

"Hey, lady, I'm hungry. Can you bring me some Ramen? Maybe then I'll tell talk…maybe."

"You're not in position to be making demands!" The irritated Misato retorted. "Now tell me where he is!"

"Ramen!Ramen! I love Ramen!"

Misato had enough with the annoying blond, so she slammed her hands on the table to silence him and stood from her chair. "Enough!" She yelled. "Shinji is needed as a pilot here! If we don't find him, everyone will be in grave danger! So stop it with the kid's games already!"

There was silence after her outburst, and Naruto's silly demeanor had changed completely. Now he stared at her with cold, azure eyes. "I may not know you, but I don't like you," he finally said. "Forcing a _kid_ to pilot something like the Eva, and risk his life against his own will, is disgusting."

Something snapped inside Misato after hearing the blond talking like he knew everything, as if he'd any idea of what was everyone going through, especially her. She raised her hand, and was about to slap the bound boy, but the door swung open once again.

"That's enough, Captain Katsuragi."

"B-but, sir!"

"Leave, Captain, and that's an order."

The words spoken felt emotionless, but full of authority and Misato could do nothing but obey her superior. "Yes, sir." She sent one last glare at Naruto before storming out of the room.

Once the woman left, two tall men entered the room. Naruto knew one of them very well…he was Fuyutzuki, and he was trailing behind the other man like a shadow.

The other man was the one with the authoritative and cold voice. That man with glasses and a beard regarded the blond with a calculative glaze, and Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine. He was someone not to mess with.

Unlike Misato, the man chose not to sit in the interrogator's chair; instead he just stood there impassive, with Fuyutsuki at his side.

Naruto glanced at his uncle/grandfather figure, but the man in there wasn't his uncle or grandfather, he was Kōzō Fuyutsuki, the Vice-Commander of NERV.

"Tell me the whereabouts of the Third Child Shinji Ikari." The man with the beard spoke first, sounding very demanding.

'_That chick Misato and even Ojisan respect this guy…he must be the one in charge here.'_

"You're the commander, aren't you?"

"I will be the one making the questions here. Now answer, where's pilot Ikari?"

Not willing to answer, but neither wanting to play for a fool, Naruto decided to stay quiet.

"…"

Surprisingly, instead of demanding for answers, the man chose to ask a different question. "Is the Third Child still alive?"

Naruto frowned slightly, but answered nonetheless. "If by 'Third Child' you mean Shinji, then yes, he's still alive, and he'll come back, he just needs time to think and calm down…"

"I see." The man then turned to his right-hand man. "Fuyutsuki, this boy is to stay here imprisoned until the Third Child appears. Afterwards, he'll be allowed to leave under your jurisdiction."

Fuyutsuki, who stood on the sidelines, nodded. "Understood, Commander."

Naruto's eyes widened when the Commander went to the door. He was leaving, but Naruto still had many things he needed to discuss with him. "Wait!" The blond tried, but his call was fully ignored by that statue of a man.

"Wait, dammit!" Naruto tried again with the same results.

"Naruto!" It'd been Fuyutsuki, and his Ojisan seemed displeased at his behavior, but right now, Naruto couldn't bring himself to care. It was his chance, and he didn't know if he would ever get another one.

"Please stop!" Naruto hated begging for something, but if it meant being heard by that man, the Commander of all NERV, then he would do so. "Please let me become a pilot!"

The Commander's hand was about to make contact with the security pad controlling the door, but his hand stopped mere centimeters away from it when he heard the last bit of Naruto's word.

"You said you want to be a pilot?" The man had now turned back to face the blond.

"Yes!" Exclaimed Naruto hastily, it was now or never. "I may not have training or know how to pilot an Eva, but I don't mind fighting, so please give me a chance!"

"Why?"

That was an easy question to answer to Naruto. "I want to protect my precious people! I hate not being able to do anything to protect them, but with an Evangelion…with that kind of power I'm sure I could!"

"Naruto…" Fuyutsuki didn't know that the boy felt that way, worrying about others instead of his own had always been a trait of Naruto. So he watched, surprised and worried, at how the life of his charge would change depending of the answer of his superior.

"Think about it. If Shinji doesn't want to pilot again, I could replace him as the pilot of the Eva-1 instead of forcing him to do so!"

The commander stood unfazed. "Unit 01 is a highly specialized unit, only the Third Child can pilot it satisfactorily."

"Still…! There must be something I can do, just give me a chance!"

The man observed the boy through his orange tinted glasses for a second that felt like hours, and then turned his back to him. "Fuyutsuki, there has been a change of plans. You are to escort Naruto Uzumaki out of the GeoFront immediately and keep him under house arrest for the remainder of the day, but must be brought back tomorrow to start the tests regarding his skill as a pilot."

"Gendo!" Roared the surprised Fuyutsuki.

"T-thank you, Commander! I won't let you down, I promise!" Naruto was ecstatic, finally he'd his chance to prove his worth, and for Shinji's and everyone else's sake he wasn't going to waste it.

The commander left, but Fuyutsuki stayed behind. The man with gray hair then rubbed his temples. "Naruto-kun…what am I going to do you?"

Naruto grinned, and would've scratched the back of his neck if his hands weren't tied behind his back. "Sorry, Ojisan, but it was something I'd to do!"

Fuyutsuki sighed and walked around the blond to unbind him from the chair. "Let's talk about this when we get back home, shall we, Naruto-kun?" The Vice-Commander knew that he wouldn't success in changing the blond's mind, but he sure was going to have a _long_ talk with Naruto about everything that had happened.

Finally unbound did Naruto rose from the chair and stretched his numb legs and rubbed his sore neck. _'Now that's better…'_

"So, Ojisan," Started Naruto. "Do you really work for that guy? He seems like he has a stick up his ass."

"Naruto!" chastised Fuyutsuki as they made their way out of the room. "You really shouldn't talk that way about your higher-ups, especially the commander."

"Well, it's not like I know his name or anything…"

Fuyutsuki chuckled and then ruffled the blond mop of hair of his surrogate niece. "You've a point there, young'un. "

"Ojisan!" Naruto batted away the hands messing with his hair and then turned back to Fuyutsuki. "What's his name anyways?"

They were now walking down a long hallway of white walls, and Naruto had his first sights of the impressive place that the NERV HQ truly was.

"His name's Gendo...Gendo Ikari."

'_Ikari?'_ Where'd he heard that surname before? Wait…

'_Shinji's father is the Commander?!'_

* * *

><p><strong>EN: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. If there's any mistake, please don't doubt in letting me know, either by PM or in a review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. **


	5. Chapter 5: Welcome to Bethany Base!

**A/N: Please read the E/N at the bottom.**

* * *

><p><em>While staring at the infinity that stretched above him, memories flashed through his dull eyes. Happiness and sadness, victories and defeats, accomplishments and failures, the trip down the lane of his life was a long one, far too long for his taste as that only prolonged his agony further. All of his memories ultimately converged into the reality, into the world, that he'd failed to protect…<em>

_For hours now, the only thing he'd to drink had been his own blood, but the coppery taste of his vital elixir did nothing to satiate his thirst._

_In his mind he cursed repetitively at the men responsible for all the chaos they'd unleashed into the world, but truthfully he was cursing at his own weakness. One more chance…that's all he needed. One more miracle to stop once and for all the walking disaster whose steps shook the earth._

_Stubborn as he was, he just couldn't stay down and accept his dead until the bitter end…_

_Suddenly there was a change in the firmament. There was something approaching from the horizon. A silvery arrow of light dividing the clouds and cutting the air of the blood-red sky that prophesied the end of the world._

_There it was… his miracle._

_Fueled by his infinite will, his broken body moved for the first time in hours. He raised his arm to the skies and towards that light that pierced the air space leaving behind an afterglow of silver. He could feel it… it was approaching. The beating of his heart increased his tempo and his blood resonated._

_It came closer…_

_Closer…._

_…._

* * *

><p>"Naruto-kun, the Synchronization test is now over. Please wait while we evacuate you from the simulation body."<p>

The spell broke, and Naruto woke up agitated, confused and breathing rapidly. That dream had been so vivid…so real. The boy rubbed his eyes. _'What's wrong with me…?'_

* * *

><p><strong>The Fate of a Divinity<strong>

**Chapter 5: Welcome to Bethany Base!**

* * *

><p>The Pribnow Box was an area that only a few selected ones were able to see. It was a testing facility not unlike the others inside of Nerv, but what made it so special was the presence of three objects of vital importance when it came to test a pilot's aptitude.<p>

The simulation bodies, in few words, were mutilated Evangelion. They were missing the head, legs and one arm, instead, dozens of cables extended from their necks and their unarmored torsos. Some say that those bodies were built with the parts of failed Evangelion prototipes, but only their creator Ritsuko Akagi and her higher ups could say for sure what their origin was.

"We've the results of the harmonics test, Sir." Ritsuko, garbed in her pristine white coat approached the commander, but he paid her no mind. The commander and father of Shinji Ikari rarely attended to observe a pilot's test; he'd only done it before to watch Rei's results, so it came as a shock for the good doctor -and everyone else in the observation room- to see the always frigid Gendo Ikari gazing calculatedly at the new addition to their ranks.

"Commander," At her second attempt, Gendo noticed her and prompted her to report the results. "It is surprising, but his score surpassed the Absolute Borderline, just as you predicted, commander. There are still certain conditions to consider, but in theory, he should be able to pilot an Evangelion."

"Compared to the other pilots, who scored higher, Doctor?"

"He completely overlaps Rei in terms of synchronization and motor skill, and he is barely behind Shinji's synch score, but I believe that with the proper Evangelion he will also surpass him."

Ritsuko couldn't be sure, but it seemed that her report pleased the commander if that was even possible. "That brings me to the next topic to discuss. Now we have more active pilots that functional Eva, and we both know that it is impossible for him to pilot Eva-01."

"There is nothing to worry about. I have already resolved the issue regarding our lacking numbers of Evangelion."

That surprised Ritsuko, currently there were no available units, and the other countries were highly reluctant in giving their. "May I ask how, Commander?"

Gendo turned to her, and then spoke. "We worked out a deal with one of our branch bases to gain ownership of Unit-04. They weren't easy to convince, but relented in the end."

"Unit-04? The Evangelion being used in that ridiculous experiment regarding the Super Selenoid Engine?" Ritsuko asked perplexed, the members of the Nevada branch base were always very stubborn in handing over their precious weapon.

"Yes, apparently, they finally understood that toying with it would only bring disaster and decided that enough is enough."

"I see…"

"That will be enough, Doctor. Send me the details of the test to my office later."

"Of course, Sir."

With nothing else to discuss, she then joined the commander in watching as Naruto finally made his way out of the simulation body, if only, to be by his side a little while longer…

* * *

><p>"The North Pole?!"<p>

When the ringing in his ears finally ceased, Naruto turned to his loud friends. "Don't be so loud you two, everybody's staring." As matter of fact, everyone in the classroom stopped whatever they were doing in order to watch the source of such ruckus. And that source was Tōji and Kensuke. Abashed, the two boys sat down on their seats and tried to hide in them.

Shinji, although embarrassed, couldn't help but laugh at the ashamed expressions on his new friend's faces. Naruto on the other hand seemed irritated. "Look, guys, I shouldn't even be telling you this, so try to not make a scene. Cool?"

The boys shook their heads in understanding. Shinji then spoke up. "Uhm, Naruto-san, why would Nerv want you to go to the North Pole anyway?"

Naruto turned to his friend/protégée and smiled at his direction. In only a few days, Shinji, Tōji and Kensuke had cleared their differences and now enjoyed an unhindered friendship between them. Sure, Shinji still felt a little awkward around them, but he was slowly breaking out of his shell. To think it took a well-placed punch on Tōji's face courtesy of Shinji for them to become friends. Leave it to Tōji to think something like that.

"I call bullshit." Tōji, blunt as always, remarked. "Shin-man's got a point there, it hasn't been even a week since ya joined, and now they're sending ya to a super-secret mission in the North Pole? The hell, man?"

"Yeah, you're definitely hiding something from us, Naruto." Kensuke spoke slightly offended that Naruto would keep things secret. Through the years that they've known each other, they told each other everything, there weren't secrets between them. They were just that close.

The three boys huddled closer to Naruto, pressuring him into speaking. Shinji stared at him in curiosity while Tōji and Kensuke sported hurt looks on their faces; they were trying to guilt trip him. When Naruto finally gave in, he sighed and told them the real purpose of the mission. "Ok, fine. It wasn't like I was trying to keep it a secret or anything, but here goes. I'm supposed to go with Fuyutsuki-oji to a place called Bethany Base, I-"

"Bethany Base?!" Kensuke Interrupted, and with that slightly insane grin of his that he reserved for anything military-related. "The one under the control of the EU's Third Nerv Branch? _That_ Bethany Base?!"

Naruto had to lean back in his chair to avoid being head-butted by Kensuke as he closed in on him. "Ye-yeah. You know about it?" What a stupid question, Naruto realized. He was talking with the Super Military Nut, Kensuke Aida.

"Now ya've done it…"

Shinji, still not used to Kensuke's quirks, watched the scene unfolding in confusion.

Kensuke then proceed into one long ramble that could match their history teacher's own. They –Naruto and Tōji- tried to stop him, but once Kensuke got heated up not even an Eva could stop him.

…

**XX-20 minutes later-XX**

"…And then Europe and Russia built it as a joint operation to prevent further discussions."

By the end of Kensuke's ramblings, the three boys listening were just about ready to drop off dead.

"My head hurts…" Muttered Tōji.

"I'm so not going to ask how you know all of this, Ken. There's no way you learnt all that info legally." Once more, Naruto was surprised at the bespectacled boy's knowledge, but also scared at the sensitive information he'd just heard.

"I-impressive." Shinji was the only one staring mouth agape at Kensuke.

"Hn! At least someone appreciates me!"

"Anyways," Started the blond. "The reason I'm being sent there is to escort an Eva that's being transferred here."

"An Eva…Does that mean that…" Shinji's eyes grew wide. He'd figured it out.

"That's right, Shinji! I'll finally have my own Evangelion to pilot!" Still overexcited at the prospect of having his own giant robot, Naruto forgot how to be subtle and accidentally said it louder that what he'd intended to.

Again, many curious stares were thrown to the center of the room, more exactly to the blond standing on his chair with one fist raised in the air. "W-what are you all looking at?!" Even with the red coloring on his cheeks, Naruto's glare managed to scare the curious away.

"Way not to make a scene, Boss!" Tōji added while the embarrassed blond sat back down. Shinji laughed at the situation, but Kensuke wasn't.

"Ohh, how come you're always so lucky, Naruto, what'd I give to pilot one of those!" Kensuke seemed mad, but everyone knew better. Kensuke wasn't the kind of guy to get seriously jealous of his friends.

"It isn't that great." Shinji said, trying to placate the pouting boy.

"Hearing that coming from you doesn't make me feel any better…"

"So, when are ya leavin'?" Tōji asked, completely ignoring Kensuke's foul mood.

"Tomorrow at dawn." Was Naruto's reply.

His answer shook his friends. But no one was more shocked that Shinji. "Why so soon?" He asked.

It was going to be strange for Shinji, going to school and not see his blond friend around. Sure, now he'd Tōji and Kensuke to keep him company, but it wouldn't be the same. He felt that the only link keeping him inside of such a close group was Naruto, he barely knew the others.

"I'm as shocked as you are, guys. I was only told yesterday about this whole thing." Naruto then noticed Shinji's down-casted expression. "Shinji, while I'm gone I want you to take care of these two idiots. You know, try to keep them out of trouble."

"Huh? M-me?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "You are cool-headed; I guess you're more likely to be the voice of reason that keeps these troublemakers in line."

"Hey! Most of the times it was you who got us into trouble!"

Tōji supported Kensuke's accusation. "Yeah, ya are the real troublemaker here, you blond bastard!"

Naruto just waved them off. "Maybe, but you always agree with my plans, that makes you as guilty as me!"

"…"

"He got us there, Tōji."

"Great!" Naruto then approached Shinji, and squeezed one of his shoulders. "I'll be counting on you, Shinji!"

Just like that, Naruto had placed a new responsibility on Shinji's back, but contrary of piloting an Eva, this kind of burden didn't bother him at all. Being needed, being relied on, by someone that he could call a friend at that, made the young boy realize the amount of trust that Naruto had in him. "Yes!" The blond's grin appeared once again illuminating the room, and Shinji knew that he'd never let him down… because that's what friends were for.

* * *

><p>"That Gendo, he knows I hate cold." A man, a ship and the arctic waters, truly a scene to behold. The great blue extended to the horizon, glaciers were scarce, almost inexistent thanks to the effects that the Second Impact brought with it. "This weather isn't good for my bones…" A chuckle. "Look at me, talking like an old man."<p>

"But you're an old man, Ojisan."

The man, unfaltering against the kisses of the freezing winds, didn't need to turn to know who had spoken. "I certainly am, but that doesn't mean I'm fond of being reminded my age, Naruto-kun."

Naruto laughed, and then crossed the ship's deck to stand side by side with Fuyutsuki. The blond was dressed like his surrogate uncle, from head-to-toe with the warmest clothes he could find. "Ojisan, why're you here outside? I know you hate cold."

"Nothing much, just remembering the past."

"Ehhh? You really do sound like a geezer talking like that."

Fuyutsuki chuckled. "Like I said, I am an old man. Time is unforgiving to men and women alike."

A chilly breeze struck, and while Fuyutsuki stood unfazed, Naruto was forced to warm his face with his gloved hands. "Time is scary, huh? One moment nothing happens but if you blink the world might as well leave you behind."

"Scary, yes, but also mysterious, just like life itself. Trying to stop the current of a river with your bare hands is useless, it's better to let it follow its course."

Naruto leaned further in the deck's railing, admiring the waves created as the ship cut through the sea. "So, are we there yet? I swear I'll go insane if we stay much longer in this ship."

Amused, Futyutsuki sighed. "Young ones these days have no patience whatsoever. Look over there, Naruto-kun."

The blond looked over where Fuyutsuki was pointing and in the distance he recognized the faint silhouette of a ship, much large that the one they were in considering the distance, but what really got his attention was the colossal tower-like structure sprouting out of the sea.

"W-Wow…"

"Impressive, right? Built by the best engineers in Nerv, and with a technology that matches the one we have in the HQ." Fuyutsuki turned to Naruto, who still had his mouth agape. "Welcome, Naruto-kun, to Bethany Base!"

* * *

><p>"Who do they think they are, telling me to stay put!" A girl, not older than 14 years, stormed through the halls of Bethany Base. Her hair, fiery like her temper swayed in rhythm with her firm steps. "Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable!" She, aggravated by the news that she'd have to stay on hold until further orders, was on her way to the hangar to check on her pride and joy: Her Evangelion.<p>

"I, Asuka Langley Sohryu, should be out there piloting, not inside this floating piece of junk!" The girl, now named Asuka, reached the main doors of the hangar and they slide open at her approach.

She walked through many other doors and catwalks to reach where, supposedly, her Evangelion was stored, but she was in for a surprise. "What's this monstrosity doing here?! Where's my Eva-02!"

In front of her was a machine that she'd never seen before. From the waist up it was like a normal Evangelion, but instead of legs, it had four long appendages with wheels. The main color scheme was silver at the head and torso, but the limbs were green.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" Asuka, though distressed at not finding her own machine, took the time to observe, and then mock it for being 'impractical' as she put it. Then she noticed why her Eva wasn't there. It was Hangar 2; she was supposed to go to Hanger 1. _'Gottverdammt! Those assholes, they should've put directions in the halls!' _

"What do we have here? Are you lost, princess?"

The red-head recognized the annoying voice mocking her. "Makinami…"She growled. "Should've known, only a freak like you would pilot such a thing. Fitting I must say."

The girl, whom Asuka referred as Makinami, was just getting out of the cockpit of the machine. She jumped down with elegance as she regarded Asuka. "This is the Specialized Seal-Guarding Limited Use Weapon: Artificial Human Evangelion: Local Specifications Model 05, better known as Eva-05, girl. And you should refrain from speaking of it when you know nothing."

Asuka snorted. "Please, Eva-05? Don't make me laugh. Get real, Makinami, that's not a real Evangelion and you're not a real pilot!"

"Is that so?" The girl with glasses and twin tails kept her cool through Asuka's verbal assault. "Then why am I the only one that can pilot here? Face it, princess; as long as you're here you're just as good as another civilian."

The red-head gritted her teeth, she was right in that. Asuka couldn't pilot or even activate her Eva as long as she was deployed in Bethany Base, orders from the higher-ups. "You know what, Makinami? I've better things to do that hear you blabbering. Have fun playing with your little toy!"

"Bye, sweetheart, try not to freeze to death!" The girl with the glasses watched the red-head until she left the hangar. She then placed a hand on her Evangelion. "Bitch…"

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><p><strong>EN: Hello, everyone. Thank you all for reading this new chapter. Let's cut the chase, shall we? The purpose of this ending note is to express my wish to have someone who could proof-read the chapters before I post them, give me tips, advice and suggestions. In other words, a Beta Reader. I don't want to sound demanding, but preferably someone with published fics and/or experience proof-reading stories. Also, of course, it has to be someone adept in the English language and even better if he/she has knowledge about Neon Genesis Evangelion and Naruto.**

** If someone's interested then please send me a PM or review.**

**As always, constructive criticism is accepted and appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6: First Impressions

**A/N: Time sure flies quickly. So yeah, sorry for the very late update. This is the second chapter of the Bethany Base Arc which will consist of four chapters.**

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><p>"What's the status of the test subject?"<p>

High enough to be heard over the beeps and clicks of the surrounding machinery, the voice of the head scientist of Bethany Base echoed through the laboratory filled with working personal.

"Dormant. Life signs are positive, but it doesn't react to outside stimulus." A woman, another scientist, answered without missing a beat.

The man, the head scientist, hummed in approval, and then approached a series of screens situated at the far left corner of the laboratory. The images reflected in the man's glasses as he observed what the screens had to show him.

"What about Cocytus? Is it being maintained accordingly?"

"Of course, sir, as you can see, the ice surrounding and encasing the subject hasn't shown signs of thawing. "

The man nodded at his assistant before glancing back at the monitors. The screens showed a cavern of some sorts, mostly dark, with the exception of a few lamps stuck to the rocky walls that dimly illuminated the interior of the cave. The cavern itself wasn't that impressive, it was big and spacious, but what really matters in a treasure chest isn't the chest, but the prize that held within.

He pressed some keys on the keyboard and the cave was granted more light as the lamps in the ceiling came to life. With the newfound light, more of the cavern was revealed to the eyes of the scientist. Ice crawled down the rocks of the walls of the cavern, and thickened the closer it got to the center until it formed what could only be described as a lake of translucid ice.

"Yes, everything seems to be in order." Just to make sure, the man zoomed the camera to get a closer look at the center of the lake. In the center of the crystal plains, he found the test experiment, frozen in a block of the thickest ice. Its form, shadowed by the ice, couldn't be observed clearly, but it was barely held in the block of ice that was as big as an iceberg.

Its form was unrecognizable, but the head scientist knew exactly what was encased in that frosty coffin. And he feared it. That's why he could never be too cautious when it came to its confinement. The scientist in him, the side that pursued discovery and knowledge above anything else, forced him to continue with the tests, but his natural instincts that came with being a man could never be fully placated. The fear could never be ignored.

"Sometime I wonder, Anastassia, who is the one who's really trapped here?"

"Sir?

He shook his head. "Don't mind me, dear, I'm just rambling… dismiss everyone, rest is needed."

His loyal assistant did as she had been told, and he left as quickly as possible. Something wasn't right, there was ominous feeling in the air, but he, as a man of science and reason, choose to ignore such things.

But still, that uneasiness in him couldn't be killed.

* * *

><p><strong>The Fate of a Divinity<strong>

**Chapter 6: First Impressions**

* * *

><p>'<em>It is way bigger up close.'<em> That was what Naruto though as he approached the giant structure that his newly-appointed guide named as 'Acheron'. Fuyutsuki had left him a while ago, claiming that he had business with the commander of the base, and had been dropped at the 'Ural II', a ship that served as the command and monitoring center.

Saying that Naruto was excited wouldn't do him justice. Finally, after a long journey, he would lay his eyes on his self-appointed Evangelion for the first time. Such was his excitement that, even in the unprotected deck of the ship, the cold wind did nothing to cool the heat coursing through his veins and arteries.

The ship sailed below the arches of the Acheron, and Naruto felt as if he had crossed the boundaries between one world and the other. The sudden drop of temperature was felt by everyone on the ship when the limited rays of sunlight that rained down from the artic sky could no longer warm their bodies. The ship sailed through the darkness until it came to stop at a dock glistening with frost, and its passengers were greeted by the personnel of the base.

When the order to disembark was given, Naruto wasted no time to make his way out of the ship he had been stranded in for so long, and he paid the price for his impatience when he slipped with the ice covering the dock and fell on his ass, resulting in many eyes turning to him in amusement and a very embarrassed blond.

One of the witnesses of the blond's embarrassing misstep had been Asuka. "Is that him?" Asked the redhead to the dark-haired, unshaved man standing next to her. "Is he the future pilot of Unit-04?"

The man, smoking to shake off the cold, nodded his head. "The description matches, so yeah, that must be him."

The redhead risked another glance at said pilot, just to see him flaring his arms back and forth trying not to fall again. He was obviously out of his natural environment. "You must be kidding me…"

The man let out short chuckle. "Don't be like that, Asuka. Now how about you go greet him?"

"But Kaji-san~! Wouldn't you rather spend some time with me?" Many boys her age would've melted instantly at the sound of her playful voice and pouting face. But unfortunately for her, Ryōji Kaji, being several years older than her, had never fell prey to her charms.

"I promise I'll spend some time with you later. But for now…" Kaji gave Asuka a slight push to get her moving towards Naruto. "You're duties as a pilot come first, don't you think?"

The red-head sighed. "Fine, I get it already. But you better not forget our date later on. Ok, Kaji-san?"

'_Who said anything about a date?'_ Inhaling a drag from his cigar, Kaji watched as the girl went to the dock to greet her fellow partner. _'Poor kid, I hope Asuka doesn't destroy him…Well, let's get back to work. 'He_ mused for one last time, and then, the man with the unshaved beard left the scene, offering a silent prayer for the blond's well-being.

"I'm fine, really." Back with Naruto, the blond had finally found his balance and reassured the staff trying to help him.

"Hey kid." A feminine voice made him turn his head, and he ironically discovered that the owner of that voice was a girl apparently younger than him. "You're the pilot of the Unit-04, aren't you?" It was a question, but it seemed as if that redhead girl already knew the answer. "Follow me."

"H-Hey, wait up!" He hurriedly left the port area and chased after the girl, but each time he reached her side, she quickened her pace in order to be ahead of him. "Where are you taking me?"

"Are you stupid?" She answered his question, but didn't slow down her pace at all. "I'm obviously taking you to inspect your unit!"

'_S-Stupid?! First she calls me a kid and now stupid?! What's wrong with this girl!' _Naruto didn't know if she was doing it on purpose, but she was certainly pushing the right buttons to upset him. Taking a deep breath, Naruto tried to calm down lest he wanted to create a scene.

The scenery changed when the duo left the harbor area via sliding doors, and entered the largest complex of the base called the Limbo Area. Through several hallways of white tiles he followed the girl whose name he still didn't know. To solve the enigma of the girl's identity and to clear the annoying silence surrounding them, he asked her the most basic question he could think of: "What's your name?"

His question wasn't unanswered. "Hm! If you must know," All of a sudden the girl with the red hair stopped and turned, and Naruto had use his own brakes to avoid running her over. "My name is Asuka Langley Sohryu, ace pilot of Nerv's german branch and pilot of the Evangelion Unit-02, the original production model!"

Those had been the most words she had speak to him at once, and for the first time Naruto had the chance to observe her clearly…

Long flowing auburn -or maybe red- hair cascaded down her back in a silky curtain. Her body, though still blossoming, had already built curves that even her Nerv-emblazoned jacket and pants couldn't hide. And her eyes, her blue eyes shone with so much different emotions and secrets that Naruto was sure he wouldn't discover even if he had a year to study them.

Her appearance was certainly mesmerizing…

"You should be grateful to have the pleasure to meet someone like me!"

…But her personality certainly left much to be desired.

Even so, Naruto reasoned that it was proper courtesy for him to introduce himself and return her…greeting. "Nice to meet you, I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" He stretched his hand, ready to greet her the way that foreigners did, but she only glanced at his hand with a mixture of amusement and disgust.

"I didn't ask for your name, did I?" Then she spun, her long tresses slapping Naruto in the face, and went on her way, leaving Naruto with an ignored hand and a sever tick on his eye. "Now get moving, the faster we get to the hangars the better!"

"Hey!" In an instant, Naruto caught up to her and blocked her path. "What's your problem with me? I was just trying to show some manners back there!"

Asuka stood unfazed at the blond's outburst; in fact, her attitude only grew smugger at his apparent anger. "You Japanese, always so prim and proper…" She shook her head as if annoyed. "Listen, kid-"

"And stop calling me a kid, I'm older than you!"

"-My problem is that I'm stuck in this floating piece of junk in the middle of nowhere while having to babysit a green behind the ears pilot like you who probably doesn't even know how to activate an A.T Field!"

Whatever answer Asuka was expecting, it sure wasn't what Naruto responded. "A.T Field?"

The girl looked at him as if he had grown a second head. He was a pilot; surely he knew what she was talking about. Right? "You know what an A.T Field is, right?"

His silence was a negative.

"LCL?"

He adopted a thinking pose.

"Internal Battery?"

Naruto shook his head, signaling that it didn't ring a bell.

"Mein Gott! Do you know anything about piloting an Evangelion?!"

"…"

"…"

"I know what an Entry Plug is…"

"That's it?! That's all you know about being a pilot?!" Asuka felt the need to pull out every hair out of her scalp in indignation. For her to be working with someone that had no idea about the basics was unconceivable. "Didn't you learn anything while training?!"

"Well…" He started, feeling an uncomfortable itch on the back of his neck. "I never had that much training to begin with."

Dumbfounded, Asuka stared at Naruto for what felt was hours. "Are you telling me that you have no training whatsoever and now you're being given an Eva?"

Naruto nodded. "I think so, yeah."

"I can't believe this…first Makinami and now you. Is Nerv giving units to anyone these days?!"

"Hmm? Did I hear someone say my name?"

"Great…" Muttered Asuka as Mari appeared and approached. "Today just isn't my day."

"Why, if I didn't know better I'd say you're not happy to see me, Princess." The girl with the glasses then spotted Naruto. "Though neither did I expected to see you here, and with a boy at that…a _cute_ boy."

Annoyed as she was already, Asuka didn't want to deal with Mari's antics at the moment. So she came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone. "Actually, Mari, you came at a perfect moment!"

Hearing Asuka calling her by her name made Mari cringe. She was obviously up to something. "You see this idiot here…" Asuka pointed at Naruto and then continued. "Needs someone to get him to Hangar-2, and now that I think about it, this kind of grunt-job suits you perfectly, Mari!"

"W-what?"

"Hey!"

"I knew you'd think the same. Bye-bye!"

Mari sighed. "And she's gone."

That was how the first meeting between Asuka and Naruto unfolded, not many words were echanged, but Naruto certainly learned something about the redhead that day:

"There's something seriously wrong with that girl!"

Giggling reminded him that he wasn't alone. "Yeah, but believe me, you haven't seen anything yet." This other girl –Mari if he remembered right- seemed much easier to get along with that the volatile redhead.

"Hangar-2 was it? Well, let's get going!" Mari then held his hand and pulled him into the right direction.

Thankful as he was with the girl for wanting to show him the way to the hangar, Naruto felt a tad bad for making her lose her time. "It's fine," He breathed. "I don't want to be a burden; I can probably find it on my own."

"Don't worry about it, I was kind of bored actually and you seem fun to hang-out with." Left with no other choice, Naruto accepted her kind gesture and allowed him to be dragged by the glasses-girl. "Besides, how can I possibly leave a cutie like you lost in here like a little puppy?"

Dense as he was, Naruto was most of the time oblivious to the subtle passes that many girls did at him, but with someone as straight-forward as Mari, well…

"Ho? You're blushing? How cute~"

"I'm not blushing! Anyways, can we slow down a bit?"

"So you like to take things slowly? Can't say I mind guys like that either, dinner at eight?"

"I didn't mean it that way!"

She was a teaser and he was the teased, simply as that.

* * *

><p>"Here we are! Good old hangar-2!"<p>

It had been a long haul since the base was incredible in both size and complexity, but the duo of Mari and Naruto eventually made it into their destined location.

"Is everyone always so busy in here?" His question didn't lack reason as wherever he fixated his eyes upon something was going on. Many techs ran around in controlled chaos, some even driving heavy machinery as they carried multiples cargo boxes.

"Not at all, normally there's nothing exciting going on, but with a new Eva here, things got a lot livelier!"

Even when next to each other, Naruto had to strain his ears to hear her over the loud industrial sounds that permeated the hangar.

"Let's go, aren't you excited to see your new ride?"

"You bet I am!" Roles were exchanged when Naruto grabbed Mari's hand and took off guided only by his instincts.

"H-Hey, do you know where are you going?"

The blond only laughed. "Of course not!"

Mari shrugged, but smiled nonetheless. "Really…" To Mari, Naruto Uzumaki was a breath of fresh air, confined to a place full of boring old men and the only girl her age being Asuka, left her with no one to socialize with. Life in Bethany Base was dull, boring and gray, that's why someone as spontaneous as Naruto was a godsend.

Before she even knew it, they had reached a very familiar mechanical figure.

"Wow, so cool!"

Amused, Mari watched as Naruto fawned and jumped around the Eva, he looked just like a little kid that had just gotten a new toy.

"Are you seeing this, Mari-chan? It even has a lance attached to it!"

Mari burst out laughing when she saw Naruto swinging back and forth from one of the Mecha's clawed arms and the surrounding staff trying to pry him off the machine only for him to latch on tighter on the Eva.

When Mari got her composure back, he called out to the blond boy. "Naruto-kun, I'm sorry to say this but that's not your Eva!"

"Eh? It's not?" He stopped mid-swing when he heard her words and visually deflated before going back down to the floor. "Then, whose it is?"

"Mine of course!" His disappointment proved that he actually liked her Eva, something that made her glad in the inside as she was proud of being its pilot.

"If this one is yours, then where is mine?"

"Look behind you."

Naruto did as she said, but he saw nothing but another empty space in the hangar. Confused, Naruto turned to Mari who told him to keep on watching. Soon a slight quake was felt under the blond's feet, and to his surprise, the floor of that previously empty space started shifting and sliding to reveal that a pool of orange liquid was hidden underneath.

Uzumaki didn't hesitate in inspecting the mysterious pool, he crouched to get a better look at it and tried to see the bottom, but instead of seeing the bottom, Naruto saw a shadow rising slowly from the deeps of the pool. It was something heavy, Naruto deduced, as even powerful machinery had trouble lifting it.

A speck of silver was seen when the unidentified object broke through the surface of the coppery-orange liquid and it kept rising out of the water until it towered even over Mari's own unit.

Even in his astonished state, Naruto heard Mari's footsteps as he approached him and the girl then say: "Naruto meet Evangelion Unit-04. Unit-04, meet Naruto, your new pilot."

Bearing a slight resemblance with Shinji's Unit-01, this new giant of silver armor carried within it Naruto's very wishes and hopes as it faced its pilot, the liquid that smelled of iron, of blood, rained down from it.

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><p><strong>EN: Thanks for reading. Reviews, good or bad, are always welcome, but please do try to point out the things you liked, as well as the things that weren't to your liking.**


	7. Chapter 7:The Angel Within Cocytus

**A/N: Last chapter I said that this arc would last four chapter, yeah, make it six. I thank you for the reviews, some of them have been great and some have been harsh but incredible useful. Remember everyone, be it good or bad I would appreciate it if you let me know your thoughts.**

**WARNING! Character development in this chapter. Action? Next chapter for sure! Btw, the last parts were rushed so I may make a revision before posting the next chapter.**

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><p>"Please…stop, please!"<p>

A weak, moribund voice escaped the lips of a man that had devoted his life in the name of science and knowledge. On his back, with his limps tied to the posts of the bed with handcuffs, he could do nothing else but ask for some sort of misery to his torturer.

A dark chuckle escaped from the lips that he, more than once, had made his. "But why, darling? Aren't we having fun?" The woman that had been his lover once upon a time now had him at her mercy, a vicious knife trailing crimson lines on his exposed chest. But what hurt him the most weren't the cuts or the stabs, but the treason he felt after giving her his heart on a silver platter.

"I beg of you, Anastassia! What do you want from me?!"

The knife went lower, dangerously close to the most precious part of the male anatomy, and the good scientist couldn't help but squeak as the tip gave him Goosebumps. His fear rose as that death artifact approached his dong, coming to a climax when the steel passed over the waistband of his boxers –the last article of clothing he had left- and making him squeak in anguish at not knowing what that sadistic woman would do to him and his precious wang.

Slowly, like a snake crawling toward its prey, she, the one with the face of an angel, reached his ear and whispered, with the lustful voice of a succubus, her demand. "Give it to me…the key to Cocytus… and I'll set you free." A lust demon she was, for the genius beneath her came to the conclusion that she found some sort of sick pleasure in his torment.

"Cocytus? Why would you w-gaaah!" Before the scientist could finish speaking, the knife had dug its way to between two of his ribs, creating waves of pain each time his torturer twisted her devious hand.

"Shhh…just tell me what I want to hear. Don't make this harder for both of us." The man didn't heed her words, and with a sight, the woman resumed cutting, sawing, and stabbing with the accuracy of a surgeon, carefully as to not cut thought an important blood vessel and grant him the oh so merciful dead that would grant him release from his torment.

The room, a paradise for him before, was now his own private hell, as the soundproof walls made sure that none of his wails would reach the ears of any outsider.

Exhausted, both physically and mentally, the scientist eventually relented, and with his last words he muttered what Anastassia wanted to hear. Having no reason to doubt the words of a dying man, she smiled, cupped his cheek with the gentleness that only a midnight lover could muster and said: "I love you."

Sweet-coated lies… but they brought him some sort of peace. Maybe the woman he once loved was still there? Beneath all that gore and cruelness, could the same heart that lulled him to sleep so many nights before be still beating?

As the knife rose, he pondered the existence of angels and demons; he had met both, thanks to the woman before him. Then was there also a god? And if there was, would he be accepted in the realm of heaven or would he be thrown into the abyss? Maybe going to hell wouldn't be so bad, as he was sure that someday he would meet his lover again in that place of everlasting fire.

Too many questions to answer with the time that took for the knife to fall…

…

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><p><strong>The Fate of a Divinity<strong>

**Chapter 7: The Angel Within Cocytus 1**

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><p>"Woooow, incredible, Mari-chan!"<p>

It was day three of Naruto's stay in the base, apparently the paperwork needed to transfer the Unit-04 all the way to Tokyo-3 was huge and so Naruto had to wait patiently until all the bureaucracy stuff was done with so he could take his new, building-sized, ride for a test drive.

His short vacation in the artic has had its ups and downs. Starting with the bad things, there was the cold. The freaking cold was relentless and ruthless, more than once had Naruto found himself with a running nose only to discover that even his snot froze under such harsh temperatures! And let's not forget about the showers! Yeah, it was a blessing to have hot water at such a remote place, but the moment he closes the water tab it was a race against time to get dried up and put something warm on before you catching hypothermia!

Then there was the food. No ramen, truly a tragedy, but keep in mind that Naruto can do live without it…at least for a week. The true problem with the food was that it was simply awful to eat some strange fish paste thing that smelled like road-kill for breakfast, lunch and dinner. According to Mari, one gets used to it, but for Naruto it would be a miracle to get used to not vomit each time he ate it.

Talking about Mari, Naruto was currently leaning against a rail watching her pilot her own machine of destruction through a series of obstacle courses at a lower floor. For such a sturdy machine like the Eva-05 it was impressive to see it avoiding the obstacles and making sharp turns at high-speeds, surely all thanks to Mari's prowess as a pilot.

She wasn't just a great pilot; she was also someone really fun to hang-out with. If it wasn't for her, he might have died of boredom already, or gone on a pranking rampage that would surely result with him being kicked out of the base by his annoyed victims. Alas, she was there, and with that his boredom was placated repeatedly, be it with tours around the base or just chatting with each other and so the two had become fast friends.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with his other fellow pilot.

The redhead was still as distant as she was the first time they crossed paths and twice as indifferent. Naruto had tried speaking to her, reach to her like he did with Shinji, but unlike Shinji she wasn't shy at all. She was hostile and arrogant, often belittling him the few times they had exchanged words due to his lack of pilot training. There also seemed to be some kind of bad blood going on between Mari and Asuka as the intensity of their verbal disputes was well-known by everyone on the staff.

And so it came as a surprise, not just for Naruto but for everyone, to see the redhead witnessing her archrival's run on the obstacle course.

"You think that was incredible? That was mediocre at best!" Came the punctual critic of the redhead as soon as she heard what Naruto had said.

"Huh? I think she did really good evading all the obstacles."

Asuka shook her head. "And that's why you're a rookie. Look, your untrained eyes might not see it, but her turns weren't sharp enough, also she slows down too much before reaching the obstacle. In real combat something like that might get her killed."

"Oh, that's something quite daring to say coming from someone who's never piloted outside of practice drills, nyah." There was something about Mari, a gift maybe, as she was able to appear whenever people lest expected her.

Surprised at her presence, Naruto looked back at the obstacle course only to see Mari's machine neatly parked. _'How did she get here so fast?!'_

Asuka, already used to the brunette sneaking at her back, was unimpressed and angered at her clever comeback. "Neither have you, Makinami, so don't talk as if you're any better!"

The blond flinched as her loud retort ringed in his sensible ears, and with good judgment took a few steps away from the volatile redhead. He just knew another shouting war was on its way, and this time with the force of a thunderstorm. But then he noticed… he had heard the rumors of the fabled plugsuit, but seeing it for the first time on a female was almost too much for him to bear. Green material hugging Mari's skin like an infant holding her mother, leaving little to the imagination and revealing the long legs and dangerous curves of the pilot… for a short span of seconds, Naruto's inner pervert thought that whoever had designed the suits should have been given a fucking badge or the maybe the Nobel Prize.

…He only hoped that the girls hadn't seen him quickly wiping away the trail of blood flowing down from his nose.

Back with the girls.

Of course Mari noticed and felt both humored and flattered at his reaction, but she would leave the teasing for another time seeing as she had an angry redhead to deal with. "Fine, fine. Then tell me, o' mighty princess, how come you grace us with your presence today? You're here to check out the competition?" Sarcasm aside, Mari thought she did well at dealing with her rival. Maybe this time she would just calm down and leave the drama in the corner for a welcomed change.

"Stop kidding yourself, you're not a threat, you have never been! I just came here because I was bored, but it was a mistake because now I feel sick after seeing your pathetic skills!"

'_That's what I get for trying to be nice.'_ Even if Mari didn't show it on the outside, the redhead's comment had irked her quite a bit. "What's wrong, Asuka_-chan_, you're even bitchier than normal. Is it that time of the month again?"

"Shut up, you…"

What started then was something that Naruto had seen several times before during his short stay in the base: A verbal spat between the two girls. Throwing insult after insult at each other, the gals would keep going until their mouths dried and their tongues numbed. Thankfully, they never had to resort to punches, but once Mari gets pissed off enough, she starts showing off her own colorful vocabulary, sometimes in English and with an unmistakable British accent. In the red corner, Asuka would eventually add in her own insults in her mother's language –German– and some would even make Naruto flinch, even if he didn't understand their meaning.

"Here we go, again…"

* * *

><p>Forth day and this time Naruto is sitting alone in the cafeteria eyeing warily his breakfast. It was fish paste, again, and for the first time in his life, the blond was seriously considering skipping a meal. He glared heatedly at the contents of the plate before him and wished with all his heart for it to magically transform into a steaming bowl of delicious ramen, but, of course, nothing of the sorts happened.<p>

"…" He was hungry, so he gave the gooey stuff that they called food in the North Pole one last chance. He sunk his fork into the grayish matter and picked up a generous amount of fish guts, but the moment the fishy smell smacked him right into the nose he had to give up less he hurl whatever was left in his stomach.

"Whatever, I'm not even that hungry…" Defeated and hungry, Naruto let his head hit the table with a loud thud. Soon after, a rough hand grasped his shoulder.

"Hey there, mind if I sit here?"

Turning to see whose hand it was, he found the face of an unknown male smiling right at him only centimeters away. Understandably he flinched at the close proximity and almost fell off his seat, but soon restored his composure. "No… go ahead." If Naruto wasn't freaked out before, he surely was now as the unknown man steadily closed the distance between them.

The man chuckled lowly, probably amused at the teenager who was leaning back as much as it was possible in order to avoid him. "Thanks…" The whisper quickly reached the blond's ears, and a shiver ran across his spine, but not in the good way.

Naruto released a sigh of relief when the man violating his personal space backed away and walked around the table to take a seat across him. Still wary of him, Naruto studied this new person as he set his tray on the table. The first thing that he noted was that the man wore an outfit that closely resembled that of his ojisan -a high-collared jacket with matching pants- but instead of the brown that Fuyutsuki preferred, this guy's clothing were dark blue with white in the zipper and in the cuffs of the jacket. Clothing aside, the man seemed to be close to his thirties and-

"Hm? Are you perhaps checking me out?"

"Eh?" His mental process was cut short by the unknown man. "N-no way! I don't swing that way!"

"Then, which way do you swing, Naruto-kun?"

For once, Naruto was scared. Scared of being raped by that man he didn't know and was considering the quickest escape route when he noticed an important detail.

"How do you know my name?"

"It is hard not knowing you after pulling out what you did. Painting the barrack's walls orange… not bad, kid."

Creepiness aside, Naruto thought that the guy maybe wasn't that bad. After all, he appreciated his art! "Thanks!"

"Where did you even get the paint?"

"Trade secret!"

"I'm Kaji Ryōji by the way; just call me Kaji. It is nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, though you already know that."

That mysterious Kaji sure did have his way with the words. With a few well-placed words he had managed to strike a conversation with Naruto and make him feel comfortable around him the first time they met even if the blond had been freaked out at first.

* * *

><p>'<em>Vultures. All of them.'<em>

With bloodshot eyes, Fuyutsuki scanned another of the many documents saturating the small desk in the room that his oh so generous hosts had provided for him. The room wasn't bad, it had luxuries reserved only for officers of high rank, but they were mostly there to distract him from his labor, to trick him into falling into a trap settled by hungry bureaucrats. But luckily for NERV, Fuyutsuki was an experienced and clever man who never forgot to read the small print.

Frankly, it disgusted him.

The world was in a state of peril, of utter annihilation, but instead of joining together to fight off common evil, humankind showed off his ugly side, caring only for the money and not the lives of others. _'Fools, as if they would get a chance to spend all that money if the angels win…'_

It was already the fourth day and Naruto and himself were still stuck in the base when they should have been already on their way back to Tokyo-3. But the higher-ups of the base kept trying their damnedest in hindering the transfer process in order to keep Eva-04 in their hangars longer and raise the costs that the HQ would have to pay in compensation.

News had come recently from the HQ informing that another angel had attacked the city, causing major damages to buildings and to the expensive Evangelion units, as well as hurting the pilots. Rei Ayanami had received the worst injuries, but was due to be released from the hospital in one week time. Shinji was fine, but repairing Unit-01 took time and in their weakened state it would be precarious to engage against another angel. Fuyutsuki had to hurry and get back to the HQ as soon as possible with reinforcements or it could end very badly for NERV, for the city and for the world.

And so, haven't slept at all and barely eaten, the old teacher faced off against the remaining paperwork that kept him away from home.

* * *

><p>On the fifth day Naruto made his way to the cafeteria once again, but this time his mind was occupied with thoughts of Fuyutsuki. He hadn't heard anything from the old man since they went their separate ways and he couldn't believe how much he missed his ojiisan already. Briefly he wondered how was Fuyutsuki faring aboard the 'Ural II', and why were they taking so long in returning to Tokyo-3.<p>

Before he even knew it, his body running on auto-pilot had reached the Main Central Elevators that would take him from Level 6 –where the barracks were located– to Level 5 –The level where the cafeteria and the Evangelion Hangars where. You see, during his stay Naruto had learned that Bethany Base was in fact divided in three sectors. Firstly there was the Ural II, the ship that doubled as the Command Center and the lodgings of its staff and important members of NERV.

Then there were the Acheron and the Limbo Area that constituted the giant structure amidst the sea where he currently was, the Acheron being the section of the structure that was visible over the sea and the place where most ships docked. The Limbo area was everything under the Acheron and was divided in seven levels ranging from 2 to 8.

The elevator that Naruto was currently riding was one of four elevators that were among the most important elements of the base as using them was the only way to go from one level to another, including the Acheron.

"_We have reached Level 5. Please watch your hands and feet as you leave the elevator. Have a nice day."_

Naruto understood nothing from the voice that appeared each time he used the elevator as he absolutely sucked in English, but he supposed it said something about reaching his destination.

He exited the elevator and hurried his pace to reach the cafeteria hoping it to be less crowded than the day before. Surprisingly the cafeteria was almost completely deserted, with only a few people occupying the tables.

"Hmm? Oh, Naruto-kun, over here!"

He spotted Kaji waving at him from one of the tables closest to the kitchen and he made his way over there, only to find himself surprised again when he saw who was sitting with the man of the ponytail.

"Mari-chan?"

"Hiya, Naruto-kun, come sit next to me!" Mari was dressed in the same clothes that she wore in their first encounter: a dark green zip-up jacket with the NERV insignia stitched on the left side of the chest and matching trousers.

The blond did as Mari said and took the vacant seat at her side only to notice he had forgotten to get his food tray. Luckily for him, Kaji had been expecting him and had taken the liberty to get the blond a tray full of the cook's specialty. Naruto thanked him for his thoughtfulness even if he hated with passion the food on the metal tray.

Naruto took a spoonful of food to his mouth and swallowed quickly to avoid its bile taste. "I didn't know you two knew each other." He said once he was sure that the food wasn't going to escape from his stomach.

Kaji and Mari shared a look that made Naruto suspicious of what kind of relationship was between them. "We haven't known each other for long actually. I met Kaji-kun around the same time I met you, Naruto-kun."

Meanwhile Kaji had taken out a lighter from his pocked and used it on a cigar that was already resting between his lips. "That's right; Asuka and I have been here for like a week and a half, so one day we met when I went to want to watch the Unit-05 in action." He inhaled until he felt the smoke fill his lungs and then exhaled with a sigh of pleasure.

Mari frowned at the smoke floating near her face. "Do you have to do this here? We are eating you know?"

Kaji chuckled and continued to enjoy his smoke like there was no tomorrow. "You're still too young to understand, but a busy guy like me has to enjoy every single second he has free of work."

"Cheers for that, mate! Luckily I'm still a beautiful lass with few responsibilities!"

In Naruto's eyes Mari and Kaji had already a strong friendship going on. It was probably due to how similar their personalities were. But still Naruto couldn't understand how Mari could dig into her meal with such gusto when he found it so disgusting. Did she really grow accustomed to it? He stared back at his own tray…it moved! That thing actually moved!

Shivering, Naruto set down his spoon and moved the tray aside, the food in it never to be tasted again by him.

"So Kaji," Naruto attempted to start a chat to take his mind away from any moving fish-guts. "You said you came here with the red- -Asuka-san?"

"Hmm, yeah, you could say I'm her legal tutor for the time being."

"Eh? Really? Why do you even come here for?"

"Hm? You don't know, Naruto-kun?" Mari asked.

"More like no one has told me anything."

The cigar changed sides on Kaji's mouth as the man shifted slightly on the bench to get seek a comfortable position. "Well, it can't be helped, as the responsible adult I am-"

"Responsible he says!"

Ignoring Mari's rude interruption, he continued. "-I'll tell you what's going on. You at least know your mission, don't you?"

"Yeah! Get my Eva!"

"Right, and that's because it has been decided that the best course of action would be to reinforce the NERV headquarters in Tokyo-3, as it is the angels apparent target."

"Target… I guess that makes sense. But why are they even targeting the base in Tokyo-3?" The blond asked.

"…Who knows? There are still many things we don't know about the angels so the best thing we can do is to prepare for the worst, and that means sending resources to the HQ, be it funds or people."

"People? Then that means…"

"Figured it out on your own? As you know Asuka is the designated pilot of the Unit-02 which means that she has been assigned to the HQ to fight the angels, and I, as her tutor, is my duty to accompany her. We are just waiting for your unit to be released so we can all head to Japan."

Naruto nodded as he absorbed the information. "What about you, Mari? Are you coming too?"

"Afraid not, chap," Mari said and felt touched at the saddened look on the boy's face. "But I would really love to! I hear there are so many nice beaches there, what I would give to get a chance to wear my favorite bikini and feel the sun on my skin!" The glasses girl rubbed her hands up and down her arms, as if trying to emulate the delicious feeling of the warm sunrays.

"…"

"Oho? Are you having dirty thoughts, Naruto-kun? Did you imagine me in a swimsuit doing _this_ and _that, _Nyah? The innuendo on Mari's words were clearly understood even by the dense boy and to her amusement Naruto didn't seem to be able to resist her teasing, even after spending almost a week around her.

"W-wha- No I didn't!" The boy stuttered his answer, feeling conscious of the heat rising up to his cheeks.

Mari laughed out loud, "Naruto-kun your face is soooo red! How adorable!"

Kaji grinned at the scene, even if they were only kids it sure was more entertaining to be with them rather than with others closer to his age. "Stop teasing the poor guy already, he looks like he may explode any second now!"

The group shared a laugh, even Naruto as his darkened face slowly regained its normal tan. But then the sound of a metal tray hitting the tiles of the floor caught their attention. Asuka stood frozen over the contents of her spilled meal, her auburn locks shadowing the sourness marring her visage. She turned and she ran out of the cafeteria, stunning and confusing the witnesses of the scene.

The current of time seemed to resume flowing the moment the brash female pilot left, the witnesses continued enjoying their meals as if nothing had happened, after all most of them were trained soldiers or technicians that had more important things to do than care for the troubles of a teenage girl. At least most of them thought so, the exception were the occupants of the table situated in the northeast corner of the dining hall.

"Sorry, I forgot I had something important to take care of! See you later, guys!" To their surprise, Mari stood up quickly, her food half-eaten and in a quick pace went after the redhead that had just left.

Kaji rubbed his unsaved beard as he pondered what to do. "Oh boy, this might not end well."

"Then let's go after them! They might end up beating each other up!" Naruto also stood up from the bench as he feared the outcome of a confrontation between the girls. What was up with Mari? She didn't seem mad at Asuka, more like worried…

Before Naruto could rush over to find the girls, Kaji tugged on the sleeves of the blond's fur jacket. "Wait. It would be better if we let Mari-chan take care of this alone."

"Huh? But why?! They don't like each other; one of them could get hurt!"

"Maybe so, but this is something they have to fix by themselves. Believe me I know about women, if we go now we would only be worsening this entire thing."

Eventually Naruto relented and sat back down. "Kaji-san, do you have any idea of what's going on between them?"

For a moment Kaji closed his eyes, as if trying to remember a time long ago. "Haaaa, actually they go back a long way, almost 5 years I think…"

"Eh, Really? How do you know?"

"Are you forgetting that I'm her guardian? I know Asuka maybe even better than his own father." Kaji took the cigar on his lips before the remains burned him and crushed it against the table to kill the last embers on it. "So…wanna know?"

It really wasn't any of his business, but after all that he had seen, he just had to know what the deal between the two girls was. "Yeah! Please tell me, Kaji-san!" This time he leaned forward, pressuring Kaji.

Kaji chuckled as he leaned back slightly. "Why, aren't you a curious one? All right, I'll tell you, but information is a valuable resource, so you'll owe me."

"Fine, just tell me already!"

His chuckle died out, but the grin remained. The man lighted another cigar. "It all started back in Germany…"

* * *

><p>"Wait, princess." Mari was chasing after her rival down the halls of pristine steel of the Level 5 of the Limbo Area, calling out to the redhead repeatedly. "Asuka!"<p>

Asuka kept her current pace and even if she had answered Mari's call, she had no intention of stopping or of even look back at the girl chasing after her. "Get away from me!"

"Come on, I just want to talk!"

At her words Asuka snorted. "Yeah right, you probably just want to gloat over how you're stealing from me everything that I care for!"

"Steal?! What are you talking about?" Instead of answering, Asuka quickened her pace and reached the elevators. She pressed all the buttons, not caring where the elevator would take her, any place away from _her_ would do.

"W-wait, stop!" When Mari saw what she was doing, she just barely managed to get between the elevators doors and stop them from closing. "Would you listen for just a second?!"

"Why would I listen to anything you have to say to me, Makinami! You have been planning to take my place as the pilot of the Unit-02 since forever and now that you see that you can't, you try to steal Kaji-san away from!"

"Steal Kaji?! Seriously, you got it all wrong! I… I just want to-"

Before Mari could even finish her sentence, she was pushed away roughly by Asuka "Go away!" Mari stumbled back, but managed to stay on her feet. Before the doors closed, she saw the tears stricken face of Asuka glaring at her.

Mari Makinami sighed and rested her forehead against the elevator, "…Really, you're such a troublesome child…" Somehow her day had taken a turn for the worse.

If only she knew that it was only the beginning.

* * *

><p>That night Naruto had trouble sleeping as he mulled over everything Kaji had told him about the relationship between Mari and Asuka. It wasn't his business, he knew that, but he always sought to help others if he was able to, besides after listening to Kaji's tale he kind of, maybe, could relate somewhat to what Asuka was going through.<p>

He wrapped his blankets around his body and stood up, flinching at the cold assaulting his feet the moment he set them on the floor, and went to the private bathroom that his room thankfully had. He never got the bathroom as a sudden quake made him falter and root to the ground to avoid falling off his feet.

"What was that?!"

Then the lights of his room illuminated his previously dark room on their own increasing the blond's confusion.

"_Hurry up, maggots! This isn't a drill, get to your positions!"_

Outside of his room, in the hallways of the level 6 of the Limbo Area, several voices could be heard speaking in English or in Russian, Naruto couldn't tell, but the intensity in their voices made him understand that something serious was going on. He opened the door of his room and he almost got crushed by a stampede of soldier jogging down the hallway in the direction of the Main Central Elevators, each one of them carrying an assault rifle.

"Naruto Uzumaki," when the mass of soldiers passed by, Naruto noticed that two of them were staring right at him. "You must come with us; there has been a code red."

Unfortunately for the soldiers and for Naruto, the boy that sucked in foreign languages didn't understand a bit of what he had been told.

"Ermm sorry, me no speak English?"

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><p><strong>EN: Hope you enjoyed it. So in the note above I mentioned that I rushed at some parts, well as you may have noticed those parts were the scenes in the cafeteria between Naruto, Mari and Kaji. If you guys and gals think it is okay I'll let it as it is, if not, then well, that is what revisions are for, no?**

**Thanks for reading, I'll try to update before next year!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Angel Within Cocytus II

**A/N: Welcome once again! Before the chapter starts I'd like to explain something. Even if I add some elements from Rebuild, I'll be following mostly the original series. Not only because I prefer the original but also because Rebuild is not done yet and it will take many years until all the movies are available. That's all.**

**Oh, also thanks to all the readers and reviewers! **

* * *

><p>His chuckle died out, but his grin remained. The man lit another cigar. "It all started back in Germany; I had just been assigned as Asuka's guardian and was to supervise her as she underwent her training as a pilot. You may not know this, but piloting an Evangelion Unit is something only a few people in the world can do. And during that time, several tests were going on in order to select a capable pilot for the newly created Unit-02. Many children-<p>

"Children?!"

"Yes, children, as in younger than you." Kaji pointed at the blond with his cigar to emphasize his statement and then let some of the ashes drop on the stainless steel table. "I don't know the exact details but I've heard that the pilots must be of a certain age so they can fully synchronize with the Evangelion."

"So that's the reason…"The blond, Naruto, seemed highly uncomfortable. Did the thought of the pilots being children bother him?

"As I was saying, many children were selected by the Marduk Institute-"

"Mard-what?" Interrupted the blond.

"Marduk. An organization related to NERV whose purpose is to search and select possible candidates to become pilots. Now please if you have any more doubts leave them until I'm done explaining, all right?"

"Right, sorry!"

Kaji smirked at the younger boy sheepish look before continuing. "The institute chose candidates from all around the world for the preliminary tests, but only around twenty showed some potential as pilot. Asuka and Mari were among those twenty."

He let a couple of second pass by, so Naruto could assimilate the information easier. "The tests got more difficult over time, and the kids had to do things like running laps until they fainted to evaluate their stamina or stay in an Entry Plug for twelve hours trying to raise their Synchronization Rate."

"Those bastards… they were only children and still..."

"Can't argue with that one, I guess they were pretty desperate to create the perfect pilot. So in the end many of the candidates withdrew from the selection, others were discarded by the institute, others simply weren't able to continue with the brutal test, and it kept going like this until only two remained."

"Let me guess, the girls?"

"Correcto! And I'm sure you know what happened next?"

"They became rivals?"

The man nodded, happy to see that the boy was keeping up with him "You're quite the smart boy, Naruto-kun. Yeah, they saw each other as rivals and for two months competed against each other to win the place in the cockpit of the Unit-02. When the tests were finally over, Asuka was voted as the most talented pilot and became the official main pilot of the first production model. You should have seen her face, I had never seen her so happy before!"

A chuckle. Kaji must have found the idea of a happy Asuka funny. Honestly, Naruto had a hard time imagining a smile on the perpetual angry redhead's face. "But I guess the rivalry between Mari and Asuka never died out, especially when Asuka heard that if she ever wasn't able to continue her duties as a pilot then Mari would replace her."

"So that's the story. Got any questions?"

"Yeah, only one. Why?"

"Care to elaborate?"

"Why would they go through all that only to become a pilot? I mean, what is their reason for wanting to fight using an Eva?" Naruto had a reason, that's what had motivated him to become a pilot. But did the girls have one? What had pushed them into entering such a hard training to become pilots?

The man hummed, as if pondering deeply about Naruto's question. "For Mari I can honestly say that I don't a clue. And Asuka's reasons are her own; they are not up for me to say. But what I do can tell you is that, for Asuka, nothing is more important than being a pilot."

For just a moment a very sour look crossed Kaji's face and the cigar he had been enjoying so far was crushed without mercy against the table, smearing the remaining ashes in a black spot.

"…Not even her own life."

* * *

><p><strong>The Fate of a Divinity<strong>

**Chapter 8: The Angel Within Cocytus II**

* * *

><p>"Ural II, answer Ural II!"<p>

"_Ural II here, what is your status?"_

"This is the Search Team Alpha, we have pilot Uzumaki secured and are currently on our way to the hangars. Over."

"Affirmative. The health of the pilot gets priority. Take extreme precautions as you escort him to the hangars."

"Roger. Search Team Alpha over and out."

"I get that this is an emergency and all that, but couldn't you bastards wait until I put on my pants?! It is freaking cold in here!" Dressed only in a simple t-shirt and his favorite frog boxers, Naruto Uzumaki found it very difficult to keep up with the soldiers escorting him.

"You will be given pants when we reach our destination, for now you'll have to deal with it." The soldier guarding the rear was the one who answered, as the guard on the vanguard was busy fiddling with a PDA that showed a map of the base.

With exaggerated hand gestures, Naruto tried to get his point through. "Paaaants! P-a-n-t-s! You know, that thing you put over your legs?" And it got through, but not because of his gestures, it resulted that even if the guards couldn't speak Japanese, they could understand it to some extent.

The soldier in the back (Soldier #2 from now on) was the kind of man that easily gets annoyed and Naruto had a gift when it came to annoy that kind of people. "We know what pants are so stop talking to us like we are some kids!"

"Don't bother with him; it is obvious that he doesn't understand us." Said the guard in the front (Soldier #1).

"I know! But why do I have to understand him? He is so annoying!" Exclaimed Soldier #2.

*Naruto rambling*

"SHUT UP!"

"SOAP?! Are you saying I smell?! I took a bath yesterday, you fucker!"

Soldier number 1 sighed; it would be a long haul to the hangars…

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, things were hectic in the Ural II Command Center as the staff and officers hurried to their positions to prepare the countermeasures needed to contain the threat upon Bethany Base.<p>

The commander of the base, an overweight man on his forties did his best to maintain the calm, but he himself was a mess, so his orders were inconsistent, confusing and in general it only made the ruckus even worse. At his side, his loyal counselors whispered among each other about what would the best escape course be should there be the need to run to save their skins.

"How far has it gone?"

"Sir, the enemy has completely escaped Cocytus and breached through the Malebolge system! It is now coursing through the Styx Shaft!"

"What!" The commander observed the giant virtual projection in the center in the room and concluded that, in fact, that red spot that represented the foe was dangerously closer than what he had thought at first.

Now he was nearly hyperventilating, those were some _really_ bad news. The Malebolge system was a series of obstacles which sole purpose was to stop the threat before it reached further up, because once it reached the Styx Shaft there would be nothing else left to stop it from wreaking havoc on the higher levels of the Limbo Area or the Acheron and once there it could easily escape.

He paled. If the angel escaped his head would have a date with a spike.

Swallowing saliva to help his suddenly dry throat, the commander prepared his next move. "Mari! Where is Mari!"

"Sir, pilot Makinami is on her way to intercept the enemy in the Styx Shaft, sir!"

Some good news at last.

"Establish communications now!"

There was a chorus of 'yes, sir' in both English and Russian as the staff worked against the clock, typing furiously on the keyboards until the signal went through.

"_Yes, Mari here, what will your order be, sir? May I suggest Combo A with a big _diet_ cola?"_

"This is not the time to be fooling around, girl! Listen, you must stop the angel there no matter what! No matter what, you hear me?!"

"_Sure thing, mate! Just sit back and enjoy the show. We don't want you to have a heart attack, don't we?"_

When the communication cut off the commander did as what the pilot had suggested and took a seat on the chair reserved only for the officer of the highest rank. Short, saggy blond hair stuck uncomfortably to his furrowed brow and the man took a handkerchief from his breast-pocket to dry his sweat.

Mari was their best chance to stop the angel once it had gone so far up, unless he orders the pilots from the HQ to deploy, but he would have to swallow his pride to do so as they were outside his jurisdiction.

He shook his head. Mari would have to do.

Even if the unit-05 or the live or the pilot was lost, if it meant stopping the enemy then so be it, for the ambitious commander it would be a small price to pay.

* * *

><p>"My first fight against an angel…so exciting! My heart is beating loudly against my chest!"<p>

In the cockpit of the Evangelion Unit-05, Mari Makinami was barely able to stay still as she commanded the unit through the narrow corridors of the Styx Shaft just like she had done several times before in the obstacle course.

Besides the obvious differences in outward appearance between the Unit-05 and the other Evangelion, the inside, the cockpit also had many differences, mainly the tubes that connected with Mari's plugsuit and the helmet that she had to wear so she could synchronize with the unit easier. Also, her unit didn't have to rely on an umbilical cable like the other Evangelion, instead it had special energy collectors situated on the shoulder pylons which would fed the internal battery with energy as long as the unit traveled through the tunnels of Bethany Base.

Maybe the Unit-05 lacked in variability, but as long as it stayed in its territory, the base, it could compete with any other unit, including the priced first production model Eva-02.

Bright orange neon lights in the shoulder pylons and head of the Evangelion activated when the darkness of the tunnels that made of the Styx Shaft grow thicker. And from those shadows a large silhouette could be seen approaching Mari's unit.

"Oh, found you!"

She readied the lance in the right arm, charging like a medieval knight would when jousting, steady; ready to pierce through anything in its way. The clash of trains was imminent and Mari aimed at the head.

"Go, my soul!"

***Screech!***

It was a clean impact, the AT Field that the angel projected was easily nullified by the Unit-05 own field and so the lance reached its target, imbedding itself on the angel's bare skull.

***Screech!***

Its screeching wouldn't stop even as the Unit-05 kept pushing it back through the tunnels of the Styx Shaft. The angel couldn't even resist as it had lost its footing on the impact and so was being dragged like a ragdoll as the Evangelion charged forward.

The upper skull separated from the jaws and the angel crumbled into a screeching heap that was merciless ran over by the wheels on the spider-like legs of the Eva-05.

Then it went silent.

Mari tried to maneuver her unit into a 180 degrees turn, and she managed to do so even in the narrowness of the tunnels, but the brakes didn't work quite as she hoped to and so the unit only stopped when it crashed against a wall.

"Ouch…that hurts. The breaks need some serious work. Well, whatever, let's see what we got here."

Mari willed her unit to move back in the direction where the enemy was crumbled without moving. While closing the distance, Mari got a clear image of what the angel looked like. Or at least, what it was supposed to look like before it turned into roadkill. The angel was a skeleton of its former self; the researchers had done their job incredible well, but to do so they had to remove skin and muscles to learn everything they could of the strange being.

And strange it was, indeed.

It had the appearance of a snake, except that it had a bulbous mid-section that was supported by thin limbs like those of an insect that worked as legs, and it also connected to the tail and the long neck.

"Cleaning in aisle 4," said Mari as she poked the unmoving creature with her menacing lance. She was a tad disappointed, as it had ended too quickly for her liking. Well, at least she had done her job. "Hm?" When inspecting the head, Mari noticed that the lower half of the skull, the triple mandibles, held in place a crimson sphere…

Mari's eyes widened, _'bloody hell, the core!'_

Somehow the angel's core had remained intact even after ripping off the upper half of the skull, and if she had heard right, the only way to truly kill an angel was to destroy its core!

***Screech!***

The angel came back to life and it flailed uncontrollably, swinging its tail full of sharp vertebras and the insectoid limbs wiggling madly.

"Oh, you're still alive, good for you!" The Evangelion raised the arm that held the lance and the wrist rotated to allow the weapon to point straight down. "But it is time to say goodbye!" The lance stabbed downwards towards the core, but the flailing made it miss its target.

"Stop moving! It won't hurt, I promise!" With the left claw, the unit pressed down the angel's middle section to keep it from moving, but even if the Eva was upon the angel hitting the core with the lance was not an easy task as the long neck moved nimbly out of the way of the repeated thrusts.

Betraying its fragile appearance, the angel mustered enough strength to buck wildly even with tons of machinery upon him and in the moment it created some semblance of space it crawled from under the Evangelion and rose to its full height. Mari prepared for a possible counterattack, but instead of fighting it ran in the opposite direction.

"Hey where are you going? We aren't done playing yet!"

When Mari recomposed, the angel already had quite a generous head-start, but still she chased after it, hoping to catch it before it exited the Styx Shaft. This was her turf and she wouldn't let it get away so easily!

Mari willed the Evangelion to accelerate even further and the machine obeyed, closing the distance between them even if the angel navigated through the curves of the tunnel just as good as she did. It was in this kind of situations that Mari lamented that her Eva was a purely melee-type, a good ranged weapon could surely come in handy!

While musing about her lack of firepower, the angel craned its long neck to face her as it kept running and Mari noticed that half of the upper skull had regenerated, and with it, an eerie crimson eye that stared right back at her. The eye suddenly shone with red light, and Mari, considering it as bad omen, prepared for the worst and focused in strengthening the AT Field that protected her unit.

A sharp, red beam shot from the angel's eye! Mari waited, but it wasn't coming at her. The angel had shot it straight up to the ceiling of the tunnel as it passed through it creating an explosion that blocked Mari's view from an instant.

Once again, the pilot reacted to her instincts and changed course to prevent being crushed by the falling debris. "Gah!" It had been sudden turn and Mari grunted in pain as the unit bounced against the walls of the tunnel before it restabilized. "Tch, playing dirty aren't we?"

She sighed. This wasn't going to be pretty. She contacted the Command Center, ""Sorry guys but I had to take a small detour."

"_Sorry guys but I had to take a small detour." _

"DAMN IT ALL!"

…The whole Command Center went silent after the commander roared his distress, venting his frustrations against the table before him.

Somehow the silence was even worse than the earlier ruckus.

The commander brought his shaking hands to his face. If the pressure doesn't kill him then the angel, or even worse, Seele, would.

"Commander… what do we do now?" The councilor besides him asked in a whisper that was clearly heard by anyone in the room that was as silent as the dead.

"…"

Another counselor, this one not trying to hide his panic at all, added in his thoughts, "There's no other choice, get Unit-02 and its pilot to do something!"

"Don't be stupid! That would be the same as handing Fuyutsuki control over the whole base!" Retorted the Commander.

"That…that may be for the best…" The one who spoke had been the counselor that had spoken first, the one on the commander's left.

"Are you implying that I'm incompetent?! I won't hand MY base on a silver platter to some imbecile from the HQ!"

"Then don't! He isn't here right now, as long as he doesn't know-"

"You young people are so loud. Can't an old man like me have his rest? "

The three higher ups from Bethany Base froze in place when they heard the voice of the man they had purposely buried under mountains of paperwork so they could have free reign over the base during his stay.

The voice of Kozo Fuyutski, Vice-commander of NERV HQ of Tokyo-3.

"Fuyutsuki…how long have you been there?" Asked the Commander. The angel was bad news, but Fuyutsuki was a whole different matter. His position, his rank, all he had worked for was in danger.

"Long enough to hear being called an imbecile, among other things. But don't mind me, what were you talking about?" Serene as always, Fuyutsuki observed as the Commander and his counselors exchanged glances.

"…"They decided that the silence was their best answer.

But Fuyutsuki pressed further. "Something like 'as long as he doesn't know'? Something about using Unit-02 without my consent?"

"…"

And he kept pressuring them, knowing that soon one of them would break. "Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me, but didn't you say something like 'my base, my rules' the first time we met? Well, Unit-02 and its pilot are not under your jurisdiction, do you know what that means?"

"We got no other choice! If we don't then the angel-"

And there it was. Checkmate. "_Angel_ you say? Why, this changes everything!"

"You moron…"Mumbled the Commander to his subordinate, the one on his left, the one that had made the slip-up.

Maybe it was a bit sadistic on his part, but he was really enjoying seeing them tremble, especially in front of the whole staff. Did Gendo always felt like this? "Now here's my question: What's an angel doing here in the first place and why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Tha-that's…"

"Or better yet, does Seele know about this?"

Finally, one of them answered, the one on the right of the fool that dared call himself Commander. "O-of course they know! They were the ones who told us to experiment on it in the first place!"

That surprised Fuyutsuki, but he didn't show it. _'Seele know about this and we weren't told? They couldn't be suspecting us already, could they? I need to tell Gendo as soon as I can._' Further thoughts would have to wait, for the moment he had to focus on the situation at hand.

"Is that so? Good. Then you should also know that when it involves engaging combat with an angel, the representative of NERV HQ with the highest rank gains complete control over the operation. That means I outrank you and anyone else on this base. I could easily charge you three stooges for insubordination for all you've done."

Once again, _the three stooges, _as Fuyutsuki had called them exchanged glances. Being charged for insubordination could mean a lifetime in prison IF they were lucky.

The defeated looks on their faces was more delicious than any aged wine for Fuyutsuki. "My base, my rules. Are we clear?" Yes, payback was delicious.

"Yes…"

"Yes what?"

"Yes, sir…" the three answered in unison, pleasing Fuyutsuki even further.

"Good, we will have a long chat once this is over. But first, get off my chair; I have a base to command."

* * *

><p><strong>EN: That's all for now. I apologize if it is short, but now that I'm on a break I should have time to write more...I hope...Maybe.**

**As always, any mistake or anything else you want to share is more than welcome, and you can let me know by either a review or a PM. Next Chapter Asuka joins the fray.  
><strong>

**BTW, USA vs Germany tomorrow. Good luck ConcaBros!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Angel Within Cocytus III

Kozo Fuyutsuki wasn't Gendo Ikari or Misato Katsuragi.

Gendo was cold and ruthless, a man with a heart turned to stone who wasn't swayed by emotions of any kind. A man whose sole presence was enough to make soldiers tremble, not because of his physique, no, he stayed in shape but it wasn't anything impressive. The reason why he makes people scared of him were his eyes, hidden behind orange tinted glasses, and those were the eyes of a man who would do anything, _anything_, to get what he wants.

Misato was a young woman. Fuyutsuki was neither young nor a woman, but there were also many other traits that made him different than the prized strategist. There was a reason why she was perfect for leading the operations against the angels and that was her ability to think quickly and even outside the box when the situation called for it.

Now that he thought of it, she made a perfect duo with Ritsuko Akagi. Doctor Akagi provided most of the technical stuff as she was one of the brightest minds of the era, but she was too rational and lacked versatility, or maybe the word was creativity? Whatever it was, Misato had it, and that's why sometimes her plans could be borderline suicidal, but as he said before, sometimes the situation called for it.

Gendo and Misato were perfect for their respective roles. No one could replace them.

So, as the Vice-commander of NERV, what was his role?

The answer is: do the Commander's paperwork and attend boring meetings.

…Oh, and take the place of the Commander or the Operations director when needed.

And he could do their jobs very damn well when he needed to.

* * *

><p><strong>The Fate of a Divinity<strong>

**Chapter 9: The Angel Within Cocytus III**

* * *

><p>"Standby?! What do you mean by 'standby'!?" Naruto and his escorts had finally reached Hangar-2, the boy had been given some warm pants for the troubles —something he was really glad for as he didn't feel comfortable flashing his embarrassing boxers to everyone— but for the time being, warm clothing was the least of his worries. Something was clearly going on, an emergency of some sorts; otherwise he wouldn't have been dragged out of bed so late at night and escorted right to the place where his Eva unit slumbered. Did they want him to pilot it? If yes, then why the hold-up?!<p>

"Those are the orders, pilot Uzumaki," said a member of the staff. "Until the higher-ups order it, you are to stay put."

"That's bullshit! Something's attacking isn't it? An angel! It's an angel, right?!" Another quake and Naruto along many other staff members almost lost their footing. "Look, lady, just let me get into the cockpit already!"

"Orders are orders, pilot, until ne-"

"_Attention everyone in the premises, this is Kozo Fuyutsuki, vice-commander of NERV, speaking. In the lights of the current situation, all the staff and procedures of Bethany Base will be under my direct control. To avoid further unnecessary deaths, please, do exactly as I say."_

"_All armed personnel, withdraw from your current positions immediately and provide support to the staff in the hangars 1 and 2 as they prepare the Evangelion units to launch as soon as the order is given!"_

Naruto pumped a fist high in the air as he let out a loud cheer, "Oh yeah! That's Ojisan for you!" He then looked at the woman from before grinning from ear to ear, "so, do I have to wear one of those plugsuits thingies or can I get in as I am right now?"

The woman sighed, "Please, come this way, pilot."

* * *

><p>Fuyutsuki analyzed with a stern expression the movements of the angel through the giant virtual map on the screens. That red dot would keep advancing further unless he does something to stop it. But what to do? The Malebolge System was useless and Unit-05 was out of the equation as it would take a long time for it to intercept the angel, precious time that they just didn't have. The former commander had done a terrible job in dealing with this emergency and now it was up to Fuyutsuki to fix it. It was like a game of chess with his remaining pieces being only a couple of peons and nothing else to protect his king, while the opponent still had the whole set of pieces.<p>

Maybe he was exaggerating things a bit; the Evangelion units were not peons.

Besides, Team Humanity still had a chance. The diligent old man had been doing his homework and so he probably knew more about the history of the base than most people in the room.

"Are the power sockets on level 3 still functional?"

Bethany Base was indeed unique in many ways. Since its foundation, the base had taken a special role in the research and development of new technology related to Project E, the project meant to create Evangelion units. The base focused most of its resources into investigate on how to improve the efficiency of the internal battery of the units. Their research led them to the creation of Unit-05, unique on its own way, as it was the first unit that wasn't restricted by an Umbilical Cable. Even if the unit-05 use was restricted to only the base it was a great discovery that would surely lead to future improvements regarding the Evangelion's energy supplies.

But to learn how to run one must first learn how to walk.

Before the base was transformed into the complex array of circuits that it is today, several tests using Evangelion prototypes and umbilical cables took place in some sections of the base and so several power sockets were installed and, thankfully, never removed.

It would be perfect if those sockets still worked, because if they don't there would be no case in deploying the other Eva units, and basically, everyone on the base would be screwed.

"Nonsense, Fuyutsuki!" It was easy to predict that the former commander of the base would question him every chance he got to save some face after being humiliated right in front of all his crew. What an idiot. "Those sockets haven't been used in years there is no way they are still working!"

"You do realize that if those sockets aren't working the base is lost, right? Unless you have a plan I haven't heard off?"

"…"

"Didn't think so."

The next few seconds felt like years for Kozo. Only the quick typing of the crew could be heard as they searched through the system. On the outside he was calm and composed, but on the inside he was a nervous wreck. Truth be told, if this plan failed then there would be no much more options left, perhaps they would even be forced to self-destruct the base. And not even that could assure them the angel's destruction.

…This kind of stress was bad for his health.

"The sockets… are working! The sockets are working, sir!"

The crew cheered like if they had won the battle already, and perhaps it really was kind of a victory for them as they were smart and understood what would've happen if those sockets weren't usable.

Fuyutsuki let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. Good, they were still in the game.

Interlacing the fingers of his hands, Fuyutsuki shifted into Gendo's favorite pose as he studied the map once again. The next part of his plan was to make the angel move towards the area with the sockets…

"Close gates 2f…1h and… 2j."

The staff did as he told them to, but once again, the man buzzing around him like a fly does to meat had to doubt his decisions. "That won't work! We have tried to trap it with the Malebolge System but the angel just blew it up!"

Kozo rubbed his brow, feeling a headache already forming. "Look at the map, you fool! I'm not trying to trap the angel, just change its direction."

"And what makes you think something like that will work? It will just blow a hole through the gates!"

He didn't answer to the angry ex-commander; instead he decided to observe the red dot advancing on the map. A cornered animal fights, but he hoped that as long as there was another path it could follow, the angel would be tempted to follow it instead of using its powerful beams of energy to make another.

He could only hope everything goes as he predicted.

"Sir, we've got new from hangar 1! Unit-02 is ready to be deployed!"

That was quick. He had to commend the crew of mixed nationalities for working so well together even when past relations between the European Union and Russia had not been the best of all. Perhaps he could persuade Gendo to take some of them back with them to Tokyo-3? The youngsters in the HQ could learn a thing or two from them…

"How fast can the unit get from the hangar to level 3?"

"2 minutes. A special shuttle has been prepared to transport the units to different levels of the Limbo Area."

2 minutes? That much should be enough should the angel take the small detour that Kozo has made for it.

"Shall we send the coordinates for the launch, sir?"

"Yes, please do so."

"Roger, sending coordinates… coordinates received successfully. Everything's ready for the launch. At your signal, sir!"

"Then let's not keep them waiting, shall we? I've heard the pilot is quite a feisty one. Evangelion unit-02, launch!"

* * *

><p>The narrow tunnels of the Styx Shaft bore witness to the slow, but steady regeneration ability of the creature roaming the area under the dim lights. Muscles grew and covered the sturdy bones of the angel, mostly around its tail and spine, but now that it had escaped its ice prison it was only a matter of time before the body regenerated into its former self.<p>

Its path was set on escaping using its instincts to guide it to the surface. What it didn't know was that the path it was following had already been predicted and even modified by Fuyutsuki. As long as the angel had an open path to follow it wouldn't resort in blowing up the walls of the Styx Shaft. Following that logic, the new Commander of Bethany Base had ordered the prompt closing of some gates and the opening of others, tracing a route that the angel would be naturally follow and find at the end of the road the menacing figure of the Evangelion Unit-02 ready to engage combat with it.

Round 2 was on its way.

* * *

><p>"<em>Umbilical cable connected, changing to an external power source."<em>

Taking deep breaths to steel her nerves, Asuka Langley Sohryu tried to mute the sounds around her. She had to stay focused, ignore the disgusting LCL that would no doubt be a pain to wash off form her hair, ignore the annoying four eyes mocking her at the deepest of her mind and also forget all about the annoying blond that had been given on a silver platter everything that she had to sweat and bleed for. None of that mattered. Not now.

This was her time to shine.

"_Remember, pilot, the core is located in-"_

"In the mouth, I know already! Don't distract me!"

They weren't recognizing her skills. No one was. She was trained to be a pilot since she was 6 years old unlike that boy! Heck, she had recently graduated from college! So why was everyone treating her like a child? Even Kaji treated her like one! Why? After everything she had accomplished on her own, they still won't treat her like an adult!

"_Pilot Langley."_

"What!"

"_Please assume the indicated position, the target is approaching."_

Deep breathes, Asuka, none of those thing mattered. Not when she could pilot her Evangelion. If they won't acknowledge her, then she would just have to show them that she was the best. The best pilot. The best at everything!

She assumed her position, some meters away from a massive gate that connected directly to the Styx Shaft, the place from where her enemy would be emerging. Scanning her surroundings, Asuka nodded at what she saw. The whole floor was a cylindrical room, large enough to give her maneuvering space, even with the several piles of metal crates stacked together filled with who knows what, probably things that were used for the tests performed on this level. Not important.

She turned her gaze back to the gates and to the assault rifles gripped in each of her unit's hands, safes unlocked and ready for action. She raised the weapons, aimed at the gate, and waited.

"_Pilot, the ETA is 10 seconds from now."_

Fingers on the triggers as the countdown started and in Asuka's perspective it was eternal.

5

4

3

2

1

The massive gates were blown to pieces as an explosion rung through the base, but Asuka, and in turn the Eva, didn't even flinch as pieces of the destroyed gates came dangerously close to her. As soon as she saw a centimeter of grey skin among the flying debris, she pressed both triggers at the same time and let the bullets fly.

***Screech!* **

One by one the bullets impacted, starting from the bottom and making their way up to the skull, where the core resided. Asuka calibrated her aim carefully, and then instead of piercing the new grey skin the angel sported on its neck, the bullets chipped away at the exposed skull.

***Screech!***

Injured and disorientated at the sudden barrage of lead, the angel braved through the bullets and charged at the red Evangelion.

"Too slow!" The unit did a somersault over the angel's head, not stopping firing even a second and when it landed Asuka got a clear shot at the angel's blindside, leaving dents all along its spine.

"Ha! This is too easy!"

While she was busy boasting, the angel turned around and charged once again, but even so it kept its jaw completely shut.

"Tch!" Unit-02 rolled out of its way and rose with a knee still in the floor to continue shooting, this time at the angel's unprotected flank. The angel screeched and screeched but not once gave Asuka a clear view of its core, so she kept on shooting, this time directly to the skull to try and blow a hole through the tough bone.

When the bone finally started to yield to the damage the angel charged once more.

But Asuka stood her ground; she only needed to hit it a little more before t-

*Clank*

"Out of ammo already?!" Asuka quickly considered her options. Reloading would take too much time, she rationalized. She had to change her strategy!

The unit let the rifles fall to the floor. Close combat would have to do. "Deploying Progressive Knife!" The angel charged faster than before and crashed against the unit only a couple of seconds after the Prog Knife left its sheath on the left shoulder pylon.

The unit held its ground as the angel pushed trying to knock down the Eva. Asuka's attempt of pushing it away where resisted by the angel, they were so close that her knife scratched repeatedly against the armored middle section of the angel but she couldn't raise it high enough to attack the head.

***Screech!***

"Scheisse!"

Eva-02 fell to the ground the moment the angel had a surge of strength that surprised Asuka and the monster took its chance to climb over the defenseless unit and attack with its beak.

"Hyaa!"

The angel preferred to use its beak instead of its serrated tooth and it cause quite a bit of damage as it was as sharper than any human-made sword.

"Kh! Why you!" Asuka tried to grab the beak of the monster looming over after it had pecked and damaged the unit's chest armor, but with its long neck it could easily move out of her range and then attack stronger than before!

The young pilot gasped when she saw the skull of the angel approaching again and quickly crossed the arms of the Eva to protect the head from being hit with the vicious beak. "Kh! CUT IT OUT ALREADY!" It was tough, but using one leg she managed to push the beast away and she scrambled to stand as fast as possibly lest the angel attack again.

But the angel took it slow. Instead of attacking immediately it stared at the unit as if sizing it up. It flailed its skull by moving its long neck and did a strange growl that unnerved Asuka. It was threatening her.

The angel approached, and Unit-02 took a battle stance, ready to attack or to defend with the knife buzzing at its hand.

Then the angel struck!

With the speed of an attacking cobra it launched its beak by using the powerful muscles on its neck. Asuka dodged it, but the angel kept marching closer to her all the while striking with its dangerous beak. The Eva unit dodged and weaved while walking backwards, waiting for an opening to strike back.

"Khh!" One strike almost hit, but a graceful parry using the knife left the unit unharmed, a deep scratch in the angel's beak, and the opening that Asuka had been waiting for.

"Now!" The Eva went on the offensive, but the angel, mindful of its core, pulled its neck away to avoid a slash that no doubt would have left a deep cut. Asuka may have missed, but she expected so. Instead of being surprised Asuka willed the unit to perform a sweep kick that broke the angel's thin legs and left it wiggling on the floor.

"Got you!"

She had the upper-hand now! She just had to-

"Haa?!"

The unit also fell to the floor! If the angel's legs were thin like those of an insect, its regenerated tail was strong and full of muscles like an alligator's, and it had impacted the unit's legs when Asuka lest expected it!

Asuka gritted her teeth. She had to move fast before the angel recovered!

***Screech!***

Thankfully, she hadn't lost her knife in the fall, and she had used it well by stabbing the neck of the angel piercing skin, muscle, bone and the room's floor leaving the angel's neck stuck. Now momentarily immobile, Unit-02 had no problems in mounting the angel and pin it to the floor. "Payback time!" The unit punched the angel's skull with the force of a train crashing at full-speed. "Dohryaaaa!" With each punch, the bone chipped as the angel was brutally punished and soon Asuka had a clear view of the core when the jaw gave away. _'This is it! I'll finish this before that failure Makinami even gets here!'_ With a couple of well-placed hits some cracks began forming on the surface. _'Just a little bit more! Come on!'_ Her victory was close, soon everyone will have to praise her skills and admit that she was the best Eva pilot NERV ever had!

"_Pilot, our readings indicate high energy output coming from the target!"_

"Haa? What does that even mean?!"

The red light emanating from the angel's eyes told her of the dangerous situation she was in, and she cursed under her breathe while forcing the Eva to twist the body away from the angel as it let loose a beam of energy that came too close to the head for her liking and left a huge indentation on the ceiling.

When the Eva lost its balance, the angel slithered away from below and rose to its full height. Her knife nowhere to be seen in the room.

Unit-02 did the same; one hand going to the shoulder to detect that the right shoulder pylon had been completed destroyed by the beam. "Mein Gott! Next time an eye-beam is coming just tell me clearly!" Maybe releasing her anger against the poor woman providing support wasn't a great show of maturity, but she couldn't help it, nothing had damaged her unit as much as that stupid beam.

'Now what?' She thought, irritated at the angel that refused to die. Her knife was nowhere to be seen; it must have flown somewhere far away in the room when the angel rose. The rifles were close, but the angel seemed ready to attack the moment she moved, so she discarded that option. Also, when looking closely, Asuka could distinguish that the angel's extraordinary regeneration was already healing most of the damage she had done. _'Great. Just great…'_

"_Eye-beam!"_

"!" She jumped back purely by instinct so it wasn't a direct hit, but when the beam hit the floor where her unit had just been standing it created a shockwave strong enough to send the heavy Eva flying several meters before crashing into a pile of metal crates.

"_-ilot!"_

…

"_Pilot Langley!"_

For the many years to come she wouldn't openly admit it, but that impact had actually left her unconscious for some seconds. "I can hear you, there's no need to yell." Slightly dazed, Asuka guided the Eva to stand and then stared at the angel. "What…what is it doing now?" Above the angel there was a strange halo of light, bright enough to bathe the whole level with a yellow glow.

"_The Main Central Elevator! It is hijacking it!" _

"Huh?! How is that even possible?!" It was like if the angel was forcing the elevator to go up with that strange halo, and if that wasn't enough, the angel was starting to levitate! "Tch!" Asuka hurried to the angel, it was trying to escape to the upper levels! "I'll not let you get away!" The angel almost got out of her reach, only by jumping she managed to grab onto its tail. "I won't let you!" Even with the extra tons of weigh, the angel levitation wasn't hindered and eventually the umbilical cable disconnected.

"_The umbilical cable has disconnected! The unit is changing to the internal battery!"_ That was totally unnecessary; Asuka could clearly see the timer on her screens.

"Verdammt!"

"You seem to be having a tough time, princess!"

A new monitor appeared on her screen showing Mari. Not only that, when Asuka looked below she saw Unit-05 chasing after them. "Wha-? But how?"

"Hehe! Jetpacks. Neat, huh?"

Another thing that Asuka would never, _ever_, admit was that she wanted some of those on her Eva too.

And with those thoughts, the angel and the two units ascended higher and higher until they reached the top of the Acheron. The ceiling of Bethany Base.

* * *

><p>Back in the Command Center, commander Fuyutsuki analyzed the situation with his sharp mind. The angel was stronger than what everyone expected and its regeneration was superior to those of the prior angels NERV had encountered.<p>

"Sir, the angel has breached the last level of the Limbo Area; it is now entering the Acheron!"

Behind Fuyutsuki the trusted men of the former commander were whispering their fears to each other. "It is over," one of them said. "Seele will skin us alive for this."

The other one answered: "forget about that! If the angel escapes it might come for us next!"

While the two whispered, the former commander, who now was too worried to hold a grudge against Fuyutsuki, approached. "What is the next move, Fuyutsuki?" Unit-05 had failed; Unit-02 had failed too. The man was now regretting allowing the experiments on the angel to continue. If only they had destroyed it when it was captured then none of this would have happened. And now, if the angel escaped it would bring chaos and destruction upon the world.

"We will use the Unit-04," said Fuyutsuki.

"You do know that is impossible, right?" The man wasn't saying so because of the pilot's inexperience or just to antagonize the older man, it was actually impossible. "Unit-04 is incomplete!" The former commander lowered his voice so only Fuyutsuki would hear him. "The unit never had a 'Contact' made to it. An Evangelion can't work without a soul!"

"Yes, you are right. Absolutely right." Kozo knew all about that, the soul was the most crucial part of an Evangelion. Without it the pilot wouldn't be able to synch with the unit. "But Naruto is not a normal pilot. If someone can do the impossible, it is him."

Kozo stood from his station and then addressed to his new crew. "Tell pilot Uzumaki to begin the Starting Sequence!"

As he watched the crew work, Kozo Fuyutsuki knew that it was time to do or die. All these years of work, of theories and hypotheses, would all be for naught if Naruto fail in activating his unit.

'_I hope you are right about him, Gendo. For the sake of us all…_

* * *

><p><strong>EN: Thanks for reading. Please let me know of any mistake or suggestions you may have for future revisions.**

**13/08/14**


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